Update: The Ys IX official site was updated with the same screenshots and artwork that were shown in Famitsu. The profiles for Adol and Dogi on the official site also have more details than the Famitsu version, so I've rewritten the article and added more details. A new gameplay video with Adol was published as well. You can find it at the end of this article.

Falcom announced the release date of Ys IX: Monstrum Nox in this week's issue of Famitsu Magazine. The game launches in Japan on September 26, exclusively on PS4. Many fans had already guessed the game would release on the last week of September, as Falcom recently announced the game was planned for Fall 2019. Falcom always releases a big game on that week.

New details on Adol and Dogi were revealed as well. It turned out that the playable blue-haired character with the red scarf shown in one of the previous screenshots was Adol himself. Meaning there are actually six playable characters revealed so far instead of seven.

Here's Adol's profile from the official site:

Adol is an adventurer who is said to have left behind over a hundred journals recounting his adventures through his life. He's 24 years old during Ys IX. Before the events of the game, a military fleet of the Romun Empire ends up disappearing in the Atlas Ocean. Adol was there too but somehow got back on land fine, so he's the prime suspect. As such, the Romun military believes he's the one behind the incident, so when Adol arrives near Balduk, he gets arrested and thrown in the city's prison. Victim of these false accusations, Adol tries to break out of jail. He ends up meeting the mysterious woman with the gun and lantern shown in the first key visual, and gets entangled in a plot with the Monstrum characters.

Here's Dogi's profile: Dogi is 29 years old during the events of Ys IX Monstrum Nox. He's nicknamed the wall crusher as he's so powerful no wall in the world can resist him. He's been traveling with Adol for years so he's used to supernatural events. After Adol and Dogi's adventure in Altago, the events shown in Ys Seven, they headed toward the Gilia Eltlingen region inside Romun territory. This is where Balduk is located. However, they ended up being found by Romun soldiers.

 

Details on Adol's Monstrum ability, though it hasn't been officially stated yet that he gets transformed into a Monstrum, were revealed as well. Similar to the other Monstrum's abilities, it has both an English name, "Crimson Line", and a Japanese name, "The King's Road". Adol's ability allows him to extend his monstrous left arm, and instantly move where it reaches. He doesn't actually teleports though but transforms into a shadow which moves at high speed. This also allows him to go through obstacles like walls. Like the other Monstrum's abilities, it can be used both in dungeons and in Balduk, for exploration and battle. The ability can only be used on specific points, but those points are numerous in the game as seen in the gameplay video below. Using it on enemies will make Adol pass through them and deal them damage.

New comments from Falcom President Toshihiro Kondo were published in Famitsu. He said that Adol has his trademark red-hair camouflaged, a scarf covering his face and doesn't wear his adventurer gear to avoid being recognized. Kondo also said that Dogi will play an active role in Ys IX, both in the story and gameplay, and that "Dogi is so important it's like he's Adol's wife". For now, he didn't precise whether Dogi is actually playable or not. Lastly, many references to past games will be included in the story, though players who didn't live Adol's previous adventures will be fine as well. Development is going well, hence why the release date has been set.

New details on the other 3 Monstrum besides White Cat and Hawk weren't revealed yet.

Falcom also published two new screenshots of White Cat on its official Twitter, you can find them below along with the new screenshots. Keep in mind these aren't direct-feed though. The new Adol gameplay video can be found below as well. It's soundless and without UI because these two elements aren't finalized yet. You can also read more details on Ys IX and how a Ys V remake might be coming.