2.5 dots used to be 120 hits so if the 117 you counted is accurate they did reduce durability 2%. Sneaky way to make a little bit more off ball sales in a way very few people would catch.
As for the developers telling a moderator that nothing was changed, why would they tell the truth? Admitting what they have done would only inflame customers and remove "plausible deniability" from the moderator.