They probably don't want to nuke you but want to keep the possibility available. It generates bad press to nuke your fans but giving them the go-ahead means they no longer have any means of shutting the mod down should it become necessary (e.g. you're competing with SC2 or something).
It won't be obsolete. AFX and Nuke are used for different needs. AFX usually is better for smaller projects, allows you to work faster with its layered structure. And it is go-to software package for motion design. Nuke is excellent when it comes to bigger, much complex projects, especially compositing for movies.