Not sure if you're talking about WoW, but around that time ago an update to the game did exactly this change (and possibly more).
An interesting side-effect of this was that before the change if something stalled the TCP stream, the game would hang for a while then very quickly replay all the missed incoming events (which was very often you being killed). After the change you'd instead just be disconnected.
I think I have a very vague memory of the "hang, hang, hang, SURPRISE! You're dead" thing happening in Diablo II but it's been so long I wouldn't bet on having remembered correctly.
An interesting side-effect of this was that before the change if something stalled the TCP stream, the game would hang for a while then very quickly replay all the missed incoming events (which was very often you being killed). After the change you'd instead just be disconnected.