A couple things say to me these rumors aren't true.
1) base changes but can still rank up. Circle bases and current bases do not work together well. It's messy, even with LotR style trays. Plus they wouldn't do something that causes us to damage our current miniatures.
2) the mention of using formations like shield wall. Warhammer has sought to simplify movement rules for new players. Simpler the better. Teaching fantasy movement is a sticking point and will either stay at the current level of complexity or get easier, not harder.
3) compatibility with end times but new factions too. This seems contradictory. The minute you squat someone's army or parts of it, you will have up roars and start fracturing the player base as people who love something quit. They have to carefully navigate these waters by changing the setting and game without alienating the current players. If the new factions over complicate the offerings further, this only makes that harder. The new factions would have to incorporate the old ones and allow players to use their current armies. Only models they can really get rid of would be one no one plays that aren't in plastic yet.
4) the whole limited release thing is a maybe. Plastic molds are expensive. Making chill exclusive that are only avails for short periods of time has some positives. It keeps the game evolving and changing with every release, it combats 3d printing and piracy, it counter's discounters which boosts the revenue stream of the game. But it also creates potential exhaustion in the customer base and if done poorly feels like a nonstop money grab. Now, honestly, if you only had one or two new things released per year for your main army and each release was something totally cool, optional and expanded the way your army plays, that is pretty cool. So, this statement is a possibility. But regaining their investment in each mold means to maximize the sales for each unit. So. I'm not sure that is done this way.
5) they want to keep us as a customer base to build off of. Killing the game doesn't do that. They lose all the loyal customers who are buying up all the end times stuff. That's counter productive. Whatever 9th is, it will have to speak to the majority of us while attracting new players.
My prediction, a skirmish game that scales up to regimental of any size. Same bases. New factions that combine the armies like they are in end times. Phasing out of old kits that don't sell or the redundant kits in the alliances. A setting where the world is being wracked by the realm of chaos, allowing places to be tied to the warp and story wise brings conflicting armies of different eras together. Sort of like the eye of terror in 40k.
I also have a crazy hunch skaven and lizardmen get merged dark crystal style. Just feeling it. As above, so below sort of thing.
Possible factions in new game:
1) empire ascended - this becomes the holy super knights. Empire, bretonnia and dwarfs. There is already a long history between these three armies.
2) undead legion - vampires and tomb kings
3) legions of chaos - WOC, doc, bm
4) elven host - I predict tyrion comes back as the bloodied handed god with teclis reborn as incarnate of light. How this affects malekith, not sure, but elves have got to be getting an avatar since its a daemon.
5) ogres/orcs & goblins - these two armies actually go together fairly naturally. Not much to say.
6) skaven/lizardmen - turns out both races part of the old ones plans. Hence the connection with the twin tails, long connected history, both have celestial prophecies and arcane technology beyond their intelligence. They are also both animals altered into humanoid form.
Just my two cents.