Do we really need to be coddled this much or is the NYT overreacting? Choosing to mess with and break the main feature of this game (everybody playing the same

Do we really need to be coddled this much or is the NYT overreacting? Choosing to mess with and break the main feature of this game (everybody playing the same word) because of one US news story (which is still only speculation at this point) seems so extreme. On the other hand I can totally see Twitter going mad and this “triggering” people of both sides of the debate if it had been left as the answer.