I just played two games where I rushed to the king (I hadn't done that since the update yet) , and I got a turn 9 and turn 10 win, but both required strategizing and were close calls, so I'd say that's a lot better now.
Maybe the king could start scaling very aggressively at around turn 12? That way, a turn 16 win should still be quite possible, but be less anticlimactic. And beating a 50/50 king at turn 20 (which should be very possible) would feel satisfying as well.