There are some things I do not get about 3.8:
What are these 3.8 features people are eagerly waiting for? I cannot see any game breaking bug, the game is fine; is the game really worth patches at this point?
I mean, look at people on wormnet. Are they leaving because they are missing a feature? Are they interested in the incoming updates? Do you think the new updates will bring activity? In my opinion, that won't happen. I myself left because I have other things to do, but from experience (I can tell you, I spent a lot of time almost daily teaching people how to host, how to get their stuff going), the game isn't really attractive anymore. People's mindsets have changed, there are new games, more addicting; on top of that, this game gives people a harsh introduction. People expect to jump into a game, play a short tutorial then boooooom, go to multiplayer, grind and feel good about owning some other people in their rank. This is not as easy in Worms; you can go around and find specialists or people asking for rules. And I really doubt 3.8 will change anything of that, or will give the game any of its old popularity.
The same thing applies for leagues: even from my point of view... I don't know how many years I got playing this game, but I used to see Dibz and said damn, how would I beat this guy in a rope scheme if I ever played league? Now think about it from the new people's point. I would instantly give up. This game requires dedication to some extent, and it is a long term dedication.
Like I read somewhere, there are more important problems with wormnet (like lag itself, I haven't checked it myself but I heard there was some sort of lag going on during the 00 GMT evenings). This game is almost as old as I am, and there's no reason you guys should be itching Deadcode or anyone about updates. Apparently, you guys would be better if neither Deadcode or CS gave you any release date, so you wouldn't be coming up with these.
The patch, either if it got released today or in 10 years, won't affect the community. The community that plays WA and holds the boat floating is always the same. There have been some constant new players joining up lately (Xankriegor, to mention one, Sensei... I don't know), but I am sure these people would remain constant even if the 3.8 idea didn't even exist, even though they surely are really grateful.
While I played, I didn't expect any updates. I liked the game because it was fun, it was a place where I could have a nice time, and to be fair I probably missed a lot of features, but patches never really were an angular stone in it. In my opinion, they should just release it once it's finished.