The “2021” tag matters because earlier repacks (2015-2018) often lacked certain crack fixes or had corrupted BSA archives. By 2021, the scene had perfected the compression and included stability tweaks.
: Smaller download (often ~6–8 GB instead of ~12–15 GB), optional voice language packs, and sometimes included crack/fixes.
If you fall in love with Tamriel all over again, consider buying Anniversary Edition on a sale to support Bethesda. But for the hardcore, offline, mod-until-it-breaks experience? The 2021 repack is your true Elder Scroll .