FFXIV Dawntrail Cosmic Exploration Mode: Release Date, Gameplay, & More

A brand-new casual multiplayer game mode will be added in the upcoming expansion for FFXIV, Dawntrail. This new mode is known as Cosmic Exploration and will involve players jumping from planet to planet to, you guessed it, explore! Endwalker saw the player base enter the stars, so Cosmic Exploration should be nothing new to veteran Warriors of Light.

So, if you are curious to learn more about this new game mode, we have the answers you need. This article will cover everything you need to know about the upcoming Cosmic Exploration mode in FFXIV Dawntrail.

FFXIV Dawntrail Cosmic Exploration Release Date

At the time of writing this, there is no confirmed release date for the Cosmic Exploration game mode. Dawntrail is projected to be released in the Summer of 2024. However, it's unknown whether or not the Cosmic Exploration mode will launch at the same time as the new expansion. During the keynote speech at Tokyo Fan Fest 2024, it was announced that this new content might arrive in a 7.X series patch. 

Island Sanctuary, another casual non-combat game mode, was not released until patch 6.2. So, there's a chance that Cosmic Exploration will not be released at the same time as the expansion proper. However, seeing as it has been announced so early, there's a chance it may arrive on expansion release day or in a patch soon after.

FFXIV Dawntrail Cosmic Exploration Gameplay

Cosmic Exploration is a new lifestyle form of content. Players will be exploring a new star each patch and will likely conduct similar tasks to the Ishgardian Restoration from Heavensward. Players will reportedly be taking Scions to different planets with various landscapes, according to Yoshi-P.

Cosmic Exploration is set to expand on the more casual content like Island Sanctuary. As Island Sanctuary is purely a single-player-focused experience, Cosmic Exploration can be the casual multiplayer mode players never knew they wanted.

More information on Cosmic Exploration's release date and gameplay will be revealed in future streams leading up to the Summer 2024 release.