In my opinion, MGTOW counts as a cope if and only if the incel means it as a form of revenge on foids, something that they'll notice, wich is a pitiful cope.
But it should NOTcount as a cope in other cases:only when, with that label, the incel that uses it means that he is accepting that he is an incel (or a normie who can only get scraps and get used and abused) and thus totally gives up on trying to max this or that to impress women since
1 his position is that maxxing wont get him anything
and/or
2 maxxing, even if gets him something, does not get him what he wants. Maybe getting women doesn't get him happy anymore since he's scared of legal problems, or of getting dumped and divorced, or is so disillusioned that he wouldnt be happy even with 100 ons a day since he lost the right time to have certain experiences
So a self called mgtow is not just an incel in denial: it is an incel/normie (which is more or less the same, come on, normies get just scraps and abuse) who decides to at least to recognize that he has to give up on women and at least not actively contribute MORE THAN NECESSARY to gynocentrism: so no asking foids irl to boost their egos, etc.
So, when it is a delusiona power fantasy and revenge fantasy, it is a pitiful cope; but when it is an admission of being fucked in this gynocentric society, and thus giving up on participating in it more than necessary is not a cope: it is preserving the last bit of dignity an incel has. And in this case, yes, the revenge fantasy has some form of truth in it. No, not the part where the mgtow coper thinks that 30yo women are thinking about the good guys they rejected; and not the part when they think it is their choice to not be with women:
but it is true that they are choosing: choosing to avoid being a cuck IN ADDITION TO being an incel. That in effect is both a form of choice, of revenge and of rebellion towards society.