The term "B-team" is a bit harsh, and most can agree that at the very least Dark 2 is a good game. It was always going to have a tough time topping the original for many people, but that would be true regardless of who was on the team!
That said, the speculation about a lot of the veterans working on another Souls-esque game (possibly with ties to Demon's Souls) was spot on so well done OP.