Something that will surely play a role in the continuation of C++ as a key mainstream language is the degree to which is can selectively adopt features that mad

Something that will surely play a role in the continuation of C++ as a key mainstream language is the degree to which is can selectively adopt features that made newer languages more attractive. Its not so much about deep design features or any of the (ultimately subjective) preferences for programming paradigms, but more the usability and convenience of developing good stuff, both as individuals and in teams, small and large. If you think about the diverse domains where C++ has deep roots, from games development (check out Godot) to live coding (check out Supercollider) to scientific computing (vast universe, check out CERN's ROOT) and everything in-between (including machine learning and finance mentioned in the post), this particular "game" is really for C++ to lose. It may eventually fade (one of the factors is that C++ users and communities are extremely dispersed, there are few visible champions). But it won't be a quick thing.