I do not expect to see "Data-Merge" in the initial 1.7 release. You may continue to look forward to it, but perhaps not in each pre-release public beta. As with the rest of the Affinity range, we are known for introducing additional features in free updates post release. I cannot say what those new features may be. When Affinity Publisher is launched I suggest that you buy it if it has the features that you need, and not based on your hopes for the future.