chellI mention this because it really feels like it's just dogpiling onto the issue that is higher div player retention. I know rgl puts a lot of focus into gaining new players and even over the last couple of seasons,[...] However, the opposite has been happening in main+, where every season has fewer and less teams
From an observer, Vet players leaving the scene is natural and unavoidable. Combining divs would probably help create more competitive teams, but the fact of the matter is that (for lower divs) there isn't anything to aide new players in moving up unless they search for it.
Without a continuous cycle of fresh meat moving through divs, you'll inevitably just have superteams shitstomping their competition for a season because hardstuck main/im players can't challenge them (could be apart of the reason IM+ players quit).
it doesn't seem like an issue of new players not being interested in 6s. Like you've said, RGL has done a lot to push 6s towards a wider audience. Issue seems to be just that the commitment to take your skill to the next level is insanely high for a ""dead"" game.
NC is a joke div comprised partially of sandbaggers, and does a mediocre job at teaching players the format.
I see a lot of interested players lose motivation here simply because the shock of dealing with so much new information can feel overwhelming.
AM is somewhat the same way (probably with even more sandbaggers (the current top team in AM literally has multiple AM finalists and intermediate players)), but I believe that it's partially people looking to make a permanent move to IM and partially people who could play IM but aren't confident enough to foot the bill for league fees.
One can make the argument that YouTube is free and you can ask a mentor, but there is literally no way new players will instinctively know how to schedule scrims or review maps. Consulting YouTube videos that are almost 10 years old is ridiculous, and finding information on newer maps such as bagel and sultry is stupidly difficult. Newbies are expected to learn all of this by themselves, and with the addition of practicing with no signs of improvement and learning through a trial by fire, it can be very demotivating.
Overall, my tldr is just help newbies better.
It should be obvious but there's no way to get more players into higher divs without teaching them how to get there in the first place. RGL already did the hard part which was getting them interested in competitive now just get them gud. Obviously some players will quit/fester in low divs, but at least they'll have a positive experience with the league and be confident with recommending it to prospective players.
Please do correct me if I'm wrong about anything. I don't really play competitive tf2 so my opinions aren't entirely based in truth, but this is what I've gathered from watching the league. I know RGL has made somewhat of an effort to reach out to baby players (such as partnering with tf2cc), but I feel like leagues and players could always do more.