I believe so. I understand when new gear is released that typically old stuff is tossed but this way with a bump in difficulty in VoG and the idea that you'll need to use an item that can only drop in Crota's End to upgrade Gear you receive in the Lv 32 VoG. I think this let's you still be able to earn gear that's diverse from others.. That way not everyone is running around with the exact same set ups.