Square Enix has recently published an extensive list of issues related to the Cosmic Exploration feature in Final Fantasy 14. The update highlights problems with Aetherial Reduction and mech operations, promising fixes in upcoming patches.

On April 24, Final Fantasy 14 addressed player concerns regarding the newly introduced Cosmic Exploration feature. The developers acknowledged that the instructions for gatherer missions involving Aetherial Reduction were unclear and confirmed that adjustments would be made.

As the flagship addition in Final Fantasy 14's 7.21 update, Cosmic Exploration allows crafters and gatherers to collect resources and establish a lunar base for future space endeavors. Players must complete the Endwalker main story quest from Patch 6.0 to access this feature. While Cosmic Exploration is limited to a player's home server, cooperative stellar missions unlock upgrades for the lunar base. Future Dawntrail updates will introduce additional planets. Crafters and gatherers at level 10 or higher can participate.

Although some issues were noted in the Final Fantasy 14 Patch 7.21 notes, Square Enix expanded the list in a recent Lodestone post. One notable bug involves stellar missions requiring Aetherial Reduction, where players may find themselves unable to close menus after completing objectives. A temporary solution is to use Stellar Return or Teleport to reload the area, which forces most menus to close.

Other issues include incorrect timers for mech ops and unintended item synthesis during stellar missions. Square Enix has assured players that these will be resolved in future updates.

Players have reported that actions like Prospect and Triangulate are sometimes disabled during mech ops, likely due to hotbar swapping issues. Switching classes and then reverting to miner or botanist can reactivate these essential actions, which are crucial for locating gathering points and earning Cosmic Exploration rewards.

Square Enix has not provided a specific timeline for resolving these issues. With Cosmic Exploration and the ongoing Callback Campaign encouraging players to return to Final Fantasy 14, the community eagerly awaits further updates.