Welp but I can guarantee you that there will be no more patches for CoH2.
And since you are basically the first person that I've seen complaining about 221 rush in over 4 years, I have to tell you that it's your fault entirely when you anticipate an early 221 (you can see the enemy doctrines in the load screen) but refuse to even slightly adapt to it.
Stop trying to be "blobs are bad and for noobs" Hans and do what needs to be done. If you are running around with single riflemen who are all completely spread out and they get wiped by 221 or blob on retreat, it's not a balance problem
Over 4 years the 221 has directly or indirectly been buffed against USF. I don't see much the reason to compare it to WC, UC or M3 since USF, at least, don't get proper counter until 2 minutes later, not like WH or OKW whose get pfaust and rak at the same time those mentioned units hit the field.
But let's focus on the 221.
December 12th 2018
The commander is revamped
New Ability Line-Up
221
Emergency Repairs
Panzer Commander
Heat Rounds
Sturmtiger
I remember that time you could normally deal with a 221 with riflemen, the way it is supposed to be since RM cost 280 manpower and the 221 is finally just a utility vehicle that cost 220 /20 fuel and a large part of this cost should be for their utility, not combat capacity.
But yeh, 3 months later
Feb 7th 2109
Cost from 220/20 to 220/15
Radio upgrade fuel cost increased by 5
Penetration from 1/1/1 to 1.2/1/1
Vet requirements reduced by 15%
Armour increased to 5.4 from 4
Rear Echelons were then the way to go to deal with it early game thank to their 10 damage per shot and no need for accuracy to damage vehicle so when the armor doesn't apply you actually deal damage... With the armor increase value riflemen lost value in fighting it unless in perfect green cover.
But then...
September 2019 Balance Update
Previously, Rear Echelon carbines were far too inaccurate, yet dealt somewhat high damage. This made them unreliable in most cases, even at point-blank. To make their carbines perform more consistently, damage has been reduced while accuracy has been increased.
M1 Carbine damage from 10 to 8
M1 Carbine accuracy from 0.403/0.288/0.23 to 0.51/0.3456/0.276
A clear nerf disguished as a buff. Nobody asked for it, the change came out from nowhere but around the same time some people in the modding team felt the kubel wasn't enough good early game. (Kubel got buffed twice the same year, june and september), before that RE had easy time dealing with the Kubel, after september not anymore and opened new wonderful strategies vs USF as the 2 or 3 kubel start into JLI or whatever else. Just because riflemen and then Re suck so much vs them.
Lately because the 221 wasn't already good enough, as you say nobody complained about it so there were still room for something!
Commander Update 2021 with Performance fixes - June 16th 2021
Sdfkfz 221/223
The 221 is having its veterancy requirements lowered. Previously it took too long for this unit to gain veterancy, even when near front-line troops.
Veterancy requirements from 720/1440/2880/3850/4750 to 540/1080/2160/2870/3580
Riegel AT Mines ability now requires veterancy level 4 rather than 5
-25% damage during Lockdown now requires veterancy level 5 rather than 4
Can now fire at aircraft
Evidently, with a smol inconsistent nerf to "compensate".
So yes nobody complained about it till now but it's not an argument, at best a justification for doing wrongly until someone raises his hand.