Adobe continued to refine the 2021 experience with several "point" releases throughout the year.

: The 2021 version leveraged Metal GPU rendering on macOS for smoother panning and zooming. Version History Timeline (2021 Updates)

Performance stability and minor UI refinements leading into the 2022 release. Major Features Highlighted Illustrator Cloud Documents & the Version History Panel

Technically the start of the 2022 cycle, this release was unveiled at Adobe MAX 2021 and is often associated with the 2021 calendar year: Overhauled 3D Effects: