@panda I don't think it has to be all-or-nothing. Even if the flashy stuff is endgame, the shared fire with small buffs is enough to make leveling feel less empty, which is probably the real win.
I think the battleground matters more than the shop stuff here. A proper 15v15 with a central flag can give PvP a reason to queue beyond just chasing rewards, which is a nice change of pace.