I've noticed that the reputation of the ending started out in GoT S8/Rise of Skywalker-tier, but opinions have softened considerably over time, and I don't really see anyone upset about it anymore like I did when I first joined the fandom.

I think this might be because I started not long after the ending, and I didn't hate it, but that was because I was an archival reader of a series everyone else had waited years to see conclude. That abruptness was probably a big deal back in 2016, but here almost a decade later it's just the ending to a story you can binge in a few days.