As you said, it's only been suggestions that it may have gone back something like a hold file because it's definitely a fact that they're currently grading people in competitiveness in a similar way that they used to with the dreaded hold file - the only difference is that they do hold some regard for your LOI dates. I know this because I was told directly by DL and MH in two separate phone calls. Judging by that fact and the fact that people still have LOI's, one can only suggest that it's some sort of hybrid between the two recruitment approaches previously utilised.