Looks like Starbucks has been working on this for some time now (they first started scaling back on specialty drinks in April 2018), but they are refocusing on their seasonal drinks and "innovate seasonally around enduring platforms". Meaning they will refine their fall and holiday lineups to be even better and scale back on the "Unicorn Frappuccino" which is more a gimmick drink than anything. (It did go viral, though)
A lot of this has to do with streamlining operations and to enhance the customer experience. According to Starbucks, many baristas say making these very-limited-edition drinks have a steep learning curve and increases wait times for customers. These drinks are only around for a short period of time, so it seems like a waste of time to give formal training of how to make a Tye-dye Frappuccino.
Don't worry, these fun drinks won't completely disappear, the Unicorn Frappuccino will be even harder to find.
Sad or nah? As long as the Pumpkin Spice Latte is still widely available, right?