its all hyptheticals and things i cant answer. There are for sure issues with the arena, but there are also issues with people thinking they should just be able to breeze through without trying. Lets be fair this game isnt f2p friendly, and i see no way in which it will be in the future. Its not good business sense
The point about the f2p person clearing things, is people don't play their account properly. They spread what little resource they have too thin. They don't focus on a select group of champs or they don't gear them properly. Even if that gear is lesser the wrong gear will kill any champ. Lots of the problems are also a lack of knowledge and its easier to rage than to learn
Here's why people rage.
You look at where the bronze arena mission is placed in the whole progression mission line. And then you go to this place only to be told to do things that are miles near the end of the progression mission. For any new player, that is what people call as a "paywall" of course people's rage. It's like they have just learned to ride a bike with training wheels and then you tell them to race in Tour de France! And then you tell them they did't train hard enough to qualify in Tour de France.