Almost every update since 1.11 (the one which added llamas) has changed the game in more significant ways than half the updates before it. Netherite, Trial Chambers, the Warden, automatic crafting, better trading, Tridents, the terrain overhaul, heck even Honey blocks from 1.15 were a HUGE deal for redstoners. You can't say every modern update is useless when if you removed a single one, the game would be completely different.
Every update adds to what makes Minecraft what it is, a game about exploring, building, and surviving. Even smaller ones like 1.20 follow this philosophy. Minecraft is so much more interesting, substantial, and full of life than it was sever or so years ago. I should know, I started playing the game right around the time Llamas were added.
