Update []:
As spotted by VideoGameEsoterica, it appears there's been an exciting update when it comes to the work-in-progress fan translation of Arc System Works and Taito's PS2 remake Ys V: Lost Kefin, Kingdom of Sand.
According to its GitHub page, the game is now playable from start to finish without major issues, with the developers of the patch releasing an early Beta version (v0.1) for players to check out roughly two weeks ago. This means you can now check out this Japanese-exclusive version of the game in English for the very first time.
The translation for the patch, as stated by the project lead KaisaanSiddiqui, is being led by Josep (Bluesky), with help from individuals including Etokapa, Seiichiro Mine, Livi, Sabera, and Fishbone. Sam Farron's translation of the game was also used as a basis for the project (though very little of it was apparently recycled in the end).
Some of the further improvements the team plans to make now on the road to a 1.0 release include fixing any bugs that are reported, translating the game's manual, adding in Empty Chest Messages, and creating maps and a guide for the game.
You can download the patch here.
Original Story []: We've just come across some exciting fan translation news, courtesy of the user @SabanganPr16257 on Twitter/X.
It appears that a new English fan translation patch is currently in the works for Taito and Arc System Works' PS2 remake of Ys V: Lost Kefin, Kingdom of Sand, with the project lead on this upcoming effort, KaisaanSiddiqui, announcing his plans to translate the game on social media over the weekend.
KaisaanSiddiqui is an individual whose work we've previously covered on the site in the past, having been responsible in January 2024 for a translation patch for Telenet Japan's Japan-exclusive MSX title Digital Devil Monogatari: Megami Tensei. However, now, it appears that he's decided to put his skills to the test once again, in the hopes of making yet another Japan-exclusive more accessible to non-Japanese players.
Released in 2006, the PS2 action-RPG is a remake of Nihon Falcom's 1995 Super Famicom title, and followed similar reimaginings of Ys III and Ys IV: Mask of the Sun for the second-generation PlayStation machine.
Much like the original, it focused on the series protagonist Adol Christian setting out to discover the missing desert city of Kefin, but features a re-arranged story, as well as updated graphics, and a transformed combat system.
The fan translation group Aeon Genesis translated the Super Famicom version of the game back in 2013, but the PS2 game has never been translated — either officially or unofficially.
According to KaisaanSiddiqui, updates on the project will be posted to GitHub and Twitter/X. There's also a Discord group you can join if you feel like helping out or have any questions you want to ask the developer.