Why the cruiser designation may return

Will navies build new ships officially called cruisers again?

Probably, because great-power prestige and the need for large command ships favor reviving the designation.

The cruiser label is likely to return if China or Russia openly commissions new ships under that designation. The United States and other major navies would resist appearing absent from a politically important category of large surface combatant. As carrier and amphibious flagships remain scarce, a cruiser can serve as a visible flagship without deploying an entire carrier group. The designation communicates rank and status as well as size, weapons, or mission.