I guess this depends where you live and what professions your are applying for. In my region and field, a cover letter goes with saying. It always has been like that, ever since I was looking for summer jobs, and continues to be the standard.
I love being part of the solution and not the problem, so fuck cover letters. If no applicants submit a cover letter, period, then we collectively just improved life for ourselves. Recruiters be ghostin anyway.
Cover letter requirement makes no sense in this day and age. We have access to thousands of job openings on the palm of our hands, why the fuck would I pause on one random job just to lie about why I want to work at that specific company.