I would rather get used to things when WAI then not... it is jarring if you didn't realize something WASN'T working correctly. However, Zader is still super mean, he can still solo Heroic Rancor (just did it myself with the saved squad that always did it) and the zeta gives his ship better stats as well. It's still a win-win-win.
Don't let other players' arena advice become more valuable than knowing your personal shard. Some people are on shards where Zader lead can pocket them 1st for payout. It's all about your shard.