No idea if modules themselves are failed or no, but if c++ wants to keep fighting for developer mindshare, it must make something resembling modules work and figure out package management.
yes you have CPM, vcpkg and conan, but those are not really standard and there is friction involved in getting it work.
Much like contracts--yes, C++ needs something modules-like, but the actual design as standardized is not usable.
Once big companies like Google started pulling out of the committee, they lost their connection to reality and now they're standardizing things that either can't be implemented or no one wants as specced.
I emphatically agree. C++ needs a standard build system that doesn’t suck ass. Most people would agree it needs a package manager although I think that is actually debatable.
Neither of those things require modules as currently defined.