i don't have an "official" answer but here's a couple of the top line ideas that went into it:
1. with all the olympic / slopestyle hype this year we wanted to switch up the terrain to something other than a resort park.
2. rules exist for a reason (probably for everyones own safety), but after last year we wanted to go to a place where there are [almost] none: Retallack.
the format change is more circumstantial than intentional - Masters events in the past have had 8-10 teams of 4 athletes - logistically with cat seats it's not feasible to run it that way in the backcountry this year (also need to have photographers, guides, video, etc onboard).
we're already starting to think forward to Masters X, which will likely make it's way back to a resort where plenty of spectators can attend. maybe even on a coast that has yet to host an Orage Masters event...