Do the coming SmartThings changes affect the latest Hue Bridge?

I just upgraded from the Version 1 Hue Hub Bridge to the current rectangular shaped Hue Bridge. Today I received the email notice that Oct 15, 2022 SmartThings is making major changes in the SmartThings platform. The Hue Bridge V1 is listed as no longer supported by SmartThings after the change.

I’m clear off of the Hue V1 Bridge so that specific change shouldn’t affect me. Do I even need Smarthings any longer in order to use Hue Bridge with Alexa?

Your thoughts will be greatly appreciated.