This is false.
Fusions are not meant to be EASY for F2P is true.
This fusion is only slightly more difficult as f2p than past fusions, which is I think in line with the quality of champ. Though more likely due to Plarium seeing if this level of difficulty increases revenue, but that is irrelevant.
There are 5 primary factors that impact ability to complete this fusion:
1. $$$ vs F2P: If you spend enough you can mitigate or eliminate any of the others - this makes sense to me
2. New vs Veteran player: If you are early game you are essentially ineligible for fusions. A certain level of game progress is required. I did not attempt a fusion for 4-6 months probably?
3. Preparation: Depending on where you are on the $$$/F2P and tenure spectrums, the requirement here may be significant.
As a F2P veteran player, my prep included farming keeps for about a week following the last set of events, then hoarding energy for a week. I view it as a 2-week vacation from Raid grinding. I still did Doomtower, FW, CB, Arena and Tag daily and could have done more. Only thing I exhausted was my 4 CB keys, always have wasted FW and arena tokens daily.
Most of the clan I am in is F2P/Low $$$ and I don't think anyone has struggled with this fusion that have chosen to go for it. Those that opted against were lacking in...
4. Time: Either you have it or you spend to make up for it, this is not a casual "hero collection game" -- I laugh every time I see someone refer to it that way to rationalize the focus on Faction Wars....but I digress.
5. Intelligence: This is the wild-card. I am told that content creators have provided guides of how to prepare for a fusion, and then how to complete it. In my clan, we give each other advice on how to double-dip events, when to use xp brews, do farming of potions pre-fusion, not get tricked into opening shards (LOL), saving silver (upgrade to +11,+15 only until event), .... Try doing it another way just makes it more difficult