While what you write is undoubtedly true and accurate, it is what is referred to as "a distinction without difference". It doesn't really matter if you can play the new content without saving, because you will be forced to play the new content from each new update with each subsequent update, on a rolling basis. So you play .36 and it is good, yay. Then when .37 comes out, you will have to re-play the .36 stuff again to progress to the .37 stuff. And when .38 comes out you will have to re-play the .36 and .37 stuff to get to the new .38 stuff, and so on.
This is a boneheaded move by KsT, on par with the anti-cheats installed by WifeTrainer in the last RAGS update of that game.