I understand your points but after talking internally with our lawyers it is not possible to license a VST2 for host too for new development, sorry.
In 2013 Steinberg announced the end of the VST2 SDK release. Five years later, in October 2018, Steinberg no longer makes the VST2 SDK available and no longer enters into VST2 license agreements. Previously, maintenance and technical support for VST2 had already been discontinued.
We regret to inform you that it is no longer possible to conclude a license agreement for VST2.
Our offer: Take full advantage of the VST3 interface, which has grown over more than a decade, and sign a VST3 license agreement.
Steinberg’s VST3 was created through careful analysis of previous VST versions to improve the developer and user experience.
VST3 is supported by more than one hundred hosts on four different computer platforms, ensuring that your plugin ideas are widely distributed.
Using VST3 allows you to develop your plugins quickly and efficiently. The VST3 SDK helps you to achieve a very high product quality.
Your users enjoy a very good visual overview, optimized load balancing and higher system stability.
• Advantages for software developers:
o Modular approach simplifies the development and maintenance of VST3 plugins
o Test host for improving the quality of VST3 plugins during development,
o Automated test environment,
o VST3 Validator to ensure VST3 conformity and avoid time-consuming certificate administration,
o UTF-16 compatible.• Advantages for users:
o Higher stability of the entire host / plugin system,
o Strict separation of user interface and process operations,
o Optimized load distribution in the overall system by using the Silence Flag,
o Hierarchical categorization of plugins and automation parameters for a better overview,
o Multiple dynamic I/O assignment,
o Sample accurate automation,
o Resize the plugin Editor window,
o Support of context menus,
o Available information on the channel context (name, color, …),
o Support of Steinberg’s Note Expression technology,
o 3D sound support.