You say that almost jokingly, but it is very possibly a motivation. I read an article by a product manager somewhere that WoT is nearing the end of its product lifespan, and this is quite evident by the increased monetization--more premium tanks, more power creeping, mostly quality of life updates to keep current players happy, and less focus on bringing in new players. It makes sense for WG to be trying out other sources of profit more proactively.