Overview of Final Fantasy 14 Patch 7.21
- Introduction of the Cosmic Exploration feature enhances gameplay for crafting and gathering professions.
- New dye options, rewards, and improvements to the Recollection trial are part of this update.
On April 22, 2025, Square Enix launched Final Fantasy 14 Patch 7.21, featuring the long-awaited Cosmic Exploration mechanic for players engaged in crafting and gathering roles. This update also refined the Recollection trial experience and addressed various gameplay issues that had been reported.
Similar to the Ishgard Restoration system from the Shadowbringers expansion, the Cosmic Exploration feature empowers players by allowing them to progress swiftly through crafting or gathering professions like Culinarian and Fisher. After completing the ‘Endwalker’ main story quest from Patch 6.0, players can embark on Cosmic Exploration by conversing with a red-robed Loporrit named Namingway in Old Sharlayan. Although players begin their journey on the moon of Etheirys, previously explored in Endwalker, additional planets will become available for exploration in future Dawntrail patches once the lunar base is established.
This update requires around 874 MB of free space on PC and introduces Sinus Ardorum, a new Cosmic Exploration hub located in the Mare Lamentorum region. Through Cosmic Exploration missions, players can earn two new currencies: Cosmocredits and Lunar Credits. Cosmocredits can be exchanged for gear and housing items, while Lunar Credits provide the opportunity to draw cosmic fortunes for additional cosmetic rewards, including new dye colors thanks to the expanded dye system.
Among the new dye colors included in Patch 7.21 are Violet Purple, Neon Pink, and Metallic Ruby Red, which can also be traded on the market board for Gil. The patch also brings notable adjustments based on player feedback, notably improving the visibility of the Magic Sigil mechanic from the Recollection trial, which faced criticism for its color contrast. In this update, adjustments have been made to ensure players can more readily identify these elements. Additionally, the Echo buff has been added to the AAC Light-Heavyweight savage raid tier, boosting player HP, damage output, and healing by 10% during its activation.
With the Cosmic Exploration feature launching alongside the ongoing Callback Campaign, it presents an excellent opportunity for both new and returning players to engage with the diverse activities within Final Fantasy 14. The forthcoming experiences remain to be seen, but the excitement is palpable.
Final Fantasy 14 Patch 7.21 Notes (April 22, 2025)
This patch ventures into a new realm of gameplay with Cosmic Exploration, expanding opportunities for Disciples of the Hand and Land and introducing Cosmic Tools for tool enhancement.
Collaborate with the Loporrits to unveil the mysteries of the cosmos!
* Additional features are slated for future updates:
- Mamool Ja Allied Society Quests
- Occult Crescent
- Weapon Enhancement Quests – Phantom Weapons
- Hildibrand Adventures sidequests
Playable Content
A series of new side story quests enhance the Cosmic Exploration experience:
- A Cosmic Homecoming
- Passion, Thy Name Is Ardorum
- A Manager’s Patience
- A Manager’s Persistence
The patch introduces new furnishings inspired by the FFXIV Furnishing Design Contest 2022, along with fresh Orchestrion rolls and emotes (/visage and /rage).
Battle System Improvements
- Improved visibility for magic sigils from enemy attacks in Recollection and Recollection (Extreme).
- The Echo buff now activates in AAC Light-heavyweight Tier (Savage), enhancing maximum HP, damage, and healing by 10%. * Note that Echo strength does not escalate if all party members are incapacitated.
Items Overview
Cosmic Exploration has been added.
- Embark with your fellow Disciples of the Hand and Land to explore uncharted cosmic realms!
- As exploration unfolds, your base camp will evolve, unlocking new areas and a variety of rewards. Players start by establishing a base on the moon, in Sinus Ardorum.
- Cosmic exploration areas and quests are accessible only from your Home World.
- Initiate by completing the quest “A Cosmic Homecoming.”
- Players can access Sinus Ardorum anytime by speaking with Drivingway in Mare Lamentorum (X:21.9 Y:13.2).
- Your exotablet will assist during cosmic explorations.
- The infrastructure index tracks your cosmic exploration progress.
- Completing stellar missions boosts progress; as the gauge fills, exploration advances to the next stage.
- New types of stellar missions and facilities like the Cosmoliner will appear as exploration progresses.
- Stellar missions solicit the procurement of essential materials.
- Accept stellar missions via the exotablet; higher scores yield better rewards.
- Mission rewards are synced to player levels, promoting fair distribution of challenges.
- After completing stellar missions, you can access features from the Mission in Progress widget.
- The Cosmopouch holds supplies and crafted items for cosmic exploration.
- The Cosmic Crafting Log assists Disciples of the Hand in creating mission items.
- Stellar Reduction allows Disciples of the Land to upgrade items aetherially.
- Categorized missions include Provisional and Critical options for greater rewards.
- Sequential Missions unlock after achieving a gold star rank in certain stellar missions.
- Weather-restricted and time-restricted missions become available under specific conditions.
- During red alerts, critical missions provide greater rewards for the relevant classes, promoting player collaboration for advancements.
- If the alert conditions aren’t met in time, the bounty of rewards is diminished.
- Mech ops are large-scale tasks utilizing specialized mechs for objectives; players can engage as pilots or support.
- Applicants for mech pilot positions must utilize lunar credits to apply, with selections made randomly.
- Rewards from mech ops include cosmic exploration currency, experience points, and various bonuses for stellar mission completions.
- Cosmic Exploration Projects unfold as players hit milestones, necessitating participation in scheduled events.
- Players may exchange Cosmocredits and Lunar Credits for unique rewards at designated NPCs in Sinus Ardorum.
- Daily and Standard Successes track player contributions toward cosmic exploration rewards, confirmed via the exotablet.
- Cosmic fortunes, available for drawing with Lunar Credits, provide various rewards and hold special roulettes for higher-tier participants.
- Players with top contributions celebrate as “Star Contributors”during daily ranking cycles, with opportunities for recognition and extraordinary rewards.
- Cosmic Tools, newly added to gameplay, offer enhanced opportunities for Disciples of the Hand and Land.
In summary, Patch 7.21 enriches the gaming experience with rewarding new mechanics, character enhancements, and opportunities for exploration. These additions pave the way for future developments and player engagement.
System Enhancements
- To alleviate server congestion, multiple field instances will be deployed in Mare Lamentorum and the newly added areas from Patch 7.21.
- The Heritage Found division operation will cease once congestion is resolved.
- New achievements and titles enhance the player experience considerably.
- Additional accents for portraits and adventurer plates were introduced.
- New text commands (/visage and /rage) are now available.
- Improvements have been made to the auto-translation and auto-complete dictionaries across platforms.
- New trophies (PS5) and achievements (Xbox Series X/S) enrich the gaming landscape.
- Elevated music and sound effects contribute to the immersive atmosphere.
- Launcher adjustments for Windows users require the installation of Microsoft Edge WebView2.
Resolved Issues
The following issues have been successfully addressed:
- Imbalance in damage from AAC Cruiserweight M4 (Savage) with Sand Surge and Wind Surge.
- Miscommunication of target range in duty actions.
- Some elite marks were inadvertantly non-targetable.
- Text inaccuracies in the bard’s PvE action description for the skill Barrage.
- Problems involving inaccessible actions for the sage class during gameplay.
- Color issues for designated hairstyles impacting certain races.
- Dye application issues affecting material qualities in specific gear pieces.
- Display errors for leg gear among certain races.
- Inversion of requirements for crafting various items.
- Miscellaneous issues, including improper object visibility in cutscenes.
Known Issues
- Dialogue discrepancies encountered when interacting with Scanningway during Cosmic Exploration.
- Cursor navigation across reward windows without item icons visible.
- Inconsistencies in NPC display during Cosmic Exploration under varied circumstances.
- Changes in player visibility during Cosmic Exploration projects.
- Inaccessibility of certain NPCs during specific project phases.
- Field scanner issues occurring with rejoining during mech ops support roles.
- Lunar Credit bonus anomalies attributed to cosmic tools.
- Issues tracking lunar credit bonuses associated with certain cosmic tool tiers.
For more information, visit the official source.