The release states that branches other than the default branch are now supported, and gives uvx commit-rewriter --branch other as the example invocation.
The mechanism is explicit target selection: the --branch argument directs the tool’s rewriting operation to a named branch instead of relying on the default branch. That matters because commit-history operations are sensitive to scope; scripts and operators can now state which development line they intend to affect. The practical implication is that release, maintenance, and long-lived feature branches can be included in an automated rewriting workflow without making the default branch the only supported target.
Why now is simply the 0.2 release: this is the first supplied evidence of non-default-branch support. The evidence boundary is narrow: the announcement does not specify conflict handling, safeguards, compatibility with protected branches, or behavior under concurrent updates. Watch whether later documentation or releases explain those operational limits, especially for automated use on shared branches. This starts a distinct analytical record because no prior New Runtime record was supplied; the available related matches do not provide an established record to extend.