Guild Wars 2

You are actually missing the point.

The problem isn’t elite spec on their own, it’s the new mecanics HoT bring us (and elite spec synergize so well with them).

Perma protection uptime on multiple classes and tempest that bring over 50% prot uptime to full party, 50% damage reduction buff (over 50% uptime on mesmer for example), multiple 10% damage reduction passives or buff (tempest with 40% prot, 10% frost aura, 10% earth passive). All this stuff paired with new healing system HoT bring us, where party healer are actually a thing, created undestructible comp in teamfights.

In order to break this, anet dev choose not to nerf but buff (witch is something i usually like, but not here). Every damage spec in this game got buff, and especially high mobility one (thief) that was suffering from this tank meta.

The problem of all of this is : once you reach the limit where high mobility damage spec are worth taking in teamfight scenarios, they are absolutely OP outside of teamfight scenarios.

So we are in a binary game, you play the teamfight or not, with no in between. As long as all those damage reduction and damage in general will be so high, it will be impossible for anet to balance things cause one playstyle will ALWAYS dominates the other. You need this middle ground to exist in order to allow diversity.

BTW, don’t tell me last EU pro league every class got play so it’s diversity.
First, every class doesn’t mean playstyle diversity, and that’s what this game need. Second, it will not be the case in a close future. Necromancer can’t have a place in rotation meta, same for ele cause the support he bring will not be usefull in a no teamfight meta and ranger will be the go to bunker cause he survives so well vs condi mes and has stone signet to mitigate thief rotation.
So you have only one spot to play with, and sooner or later team will find their best option for it.

That’s why we need team playstyle diversity and balance, not only class diversity and balance, and for this, you need a middle ground to exist in order to counter both playstyle with the others.

PS: btw a nerf on damage could be paired with a buff on poison (33% healing reduction to 66%). Pretty much every class have access to it (if not >> sigil). Less damage and damage reduction overall so you allow a middle ground to exist between teamfight and rotation + a way to deal with heavy healing spec without moa.