It is true that fictional content is legal, as long as it does not relate to any real events.
That being said, I would not really try anything in this regard, because "real events" can be a very broad topic. E.g. would it be a real event if I create a game around me with friends from school back then? Or would it only count as a real event if it is some sort of parody or copy of a real case...
(Even tho, I realize that I basically just repeat what you already said, lol)
Anyway, it was the Devs decision and while I would have liked the previous content (because I am fine with it in a fictional state), I understand that they changed it, given recent happenings which I wont talk about, but people who know, know.
And it is not like the game is bad because of it. It is still a good game and the characters are still good. And people can still choose their own age for the characters... You can still go young for them, just not super-young anymore.
