Also from that article here's the stuff about Orgins and Races in the new book. It appears they're not abandoning the tern race and racial it seems at least not yet.
And their explanation for negative stats modifiers for orcs and kobolds is that they were meant to be options for "monstrous adventures" separate from standard options.
Which is probably their last ditch attempt to keep some races with negative modifiers like the yuan-ti as im told their power is only some what kept in check by negative modifiers.
The design goal was tools for players to create truly unique characters with amazingly magical origins and backstories.
This includes modifying traits during character creation to better reflect the story players want to tell and offers a lineage template with fill-in-the-blanks tools to totally personalize characters. The Lineage System introduces a new way to approach creating and playing characters and adventures in 5E D&D, a responsibility the design team takes very seriously as stewards of the game. During the press briefing Crawford and Tito explained how TCoE is one of multiple books demonstrating a shift in how D&D handles things like race.
Other changes include the removal of negative racial modifiers for certain races from Volo’s Guide to Monsters via errata. Crawford explained how their original intention for races like kobold and orc was as Monstrous Adventurers, separate from standard character options. This is why those options are included in their own section in VGtM along with options considered more powerful than standard in some cases, like yuan-ti and to a lesser extent goblins. Because this context is lost through the way so many players engage with 5E D&D through online tools and resources like D&D Beyond, it became a pain point for players and TCoE will include updated versions. Hooray for kobold and orc enthusiasts!
The Lineage System offers tools to create characters not bound by a species archetype. I love the way Crawford explained how this modular piece of content interacts with existing 5E D&D material. The core game, what is presented in the Player’s Handbook and other sources, illustrates an archetypal adventuring character like an elf. Choosing this option for your character represents playing Elfie McElferson in other words — the exact kind of elf that comes to mind when you think of D&D elves. The Lineage System gives players and DMs tools to disentangle characters’ personal traits with cultural traits. And worry not! The path to customization is very smooth according to Crawford, who emphasized it is not complicated at all.
Thankfully this is a rules option outside of the core book so if it sucks it can easily be skipped and dropped out of play. Hell may be a way to filter out table groups even for both sides of it.
