In CC 2021, the Properties Panel is smarter than ever. Previously, you had to hunt for menus (Window > Appearance, etc.). Now, when you select a text box, the Properties Panel instantly shows character styles, paragraph options, and OpenType features.
Before the 2021 release, one of the biggest headaches for designers was opening a file from a colleague only to be met with "Missing Font" warnings. Illustrator CC 2021 introduced Seamless Activation Adobe illustrator CC 2021
Adobe finally optimized the GPU Performance for M1 Macs (though native support came later, the Rosetta 2 performance was solid) and modern Windows GPUs. Zooming, panning, and moving complex anchors became 10x smoother. In CC 2021, the Properties Panel is smarter than ever
(introduced in 2020, refined in 2021)