Obviously, tech companies are generally not going to disclose future design projects or features, even to their good customers.
If I call Apple today and ask them what features will be in the next iphone or when exactly it will be released, do you think they will tell me? Anyone who did would be fired immediately.
As one of first posters mentioned, always a risk in purchasing anything that a newer and better model will be released shortly. The fact that you asked doesn’t change anything if you asked outside of the window when company deemed it permissible to discuss, other than it would obviously be super frustrating due to the bad timing.
Sounds like here there was a window, happening now, and your purchase fell outside of it. That is terrible luck for sure, but it happens. Regardless, I hope they give you a discount on the upgrade path, though I highly doubt it would be free (why would it?) as you suggest.
I'm facing similar dilemma right now because I want to purchase Rega Elicit R and Cambridge 851n for $4.5k for 2nd system now but I'm holding off because I have a hunch each of them could be upgraded in next year. It's just a hunch and could be wrong, but I've looked at the release date timeline for each company and it seems like it is getting close to when you'd expect upgrades for each. I have asked both companies but of course the answer is the same one you got, and that doesn't make me angry, it's what I totally expected.