Call of the Abyss IX runs January 8-28, 2026. Registration opens December 31, 2026 after maintenance, closing January 15, 2026 at 09:00 UTC+8 (S4 servers) or January 14, 2026 at 09:00 UTC+8 (S1 servers). Top teams earn 2000 Fragments per member and advance to regional qualifiers. Success requires understanding team rules, maximizing inspiration through January 1 recharge reset, and strategic Echo allocation for COA Essences.
COA IX Overview: Tournament Structure
Call of the Abyss IX features three stages: Sacred Sanctum (Dec 31, 2026-Jan 8, 2026), Divine Procession (Jan 8-22, 2026), and Radiant Altar finals (Jan 22-29, 2026).
Scoring System:
Team score = (highest Hunter score × 2) + top 4 Survivor scores
Hunter matches: 1200-1500 points
Survivor matches: 800-1000 points
Effective deadline: January 13, 2026 at 21:00 UTC+8—teams need time to accumulate 1500 Quick/Ranked points or 3000 Duo Hunters points plus meet club membership requirements.
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Competition Format
Sacred Sanctum:
6 daily matches per role, 60 total per role
Quick Matches: 12:00-22:00 server time
Ranked Matches: 12:00-14:00, 19:00-21:00 server time
Daily reset: 00:00 UTC+8
Divine Procession:
5 daily matches per role, 20 total per role
Ancient Passage: 19:00-21:00 server time only
Leaderboards update every 15-30 minutes
Regional Advancement:
Japan: Top 5-6 teams (varies by server)
NA-EU: Top 8 teams
Southeast Asia: Top 8 teams
Queue times: Hunter 3-5 min, Survivor 1-2 min.
Why Early Prep Matters
January 8, 2026 maintenance starts 08:00 UTC+8 (240-min duration), transitioning Sacred Sanctum to Divine Procession. Complete Sacred Sanctum qualification before this—no recovery from poor early performance.
Leviathan Shore advances top 100 teams per region to Ancient Passage, filtering to top 8 for finals.
Club membership requirement: Join 12+ hours before matches count. Teams forming January 14 can't accumulate points before January 15 deadline.
Registration Timeline
Key Dates:
Opens: Dec 31, 2025 (after maintenance)
S1 deadline: Jan 14, 2026, 09:00 UTC+8
S4 deadline: Jan 15, 2026, 09:00 UTC+8
Effective deadline: Jan 13, 2026, 21:00 UTC+8
Stage Dates:
Sacred Sanctum: Dec 31, 2025-Jan 8, 2026
Divine Procession: Jan 8-22, 2026
Radiant Altar: Jan 22-29, 2026
Final Question event: Jan 29, 2026 (after maintenance)
NA-EU rankings finalize January 29, 2026 evening Server Time.
Team Submission Rules
Register 1-7 players initially; minimum 5 required for Online Qualifiers.
Restrictions:
Max 1 non-permanent resident per roster
12-hour club membership wait before matches count
1500 Quick/Ranked points OR 3000 Duo Hunters points for Abyss Battle qualification
Late registration after Jan 13, 21:00 UTC+8 is technically possible but practically impossible to qualify—insufficient time for club wait + points accumulation.
Team Formation Requirements
Roster Rules:
1-7 players (5 minimum for qualifiers)
Max 1 non-permanent resident
Club membership 12+ hours before matches count
Player Eligibility:
1500 Quick/Ranked points OR 3000 Duo Hunters points
Account age: typically 30+ days (verify before registration)
Hunter wins/high draws or 50%+ Survivor escape rate needed
Substitute Rules
7-player max accommodates 2 substitutes beyond 5-player minimum. Substitutes need identical qualification as starters—no roster fillers.
Roster Changes:
Sacred Sanctum: flexible adjustments
Divine Procession: stricter locks
Finalize before Jan 8 maintenance
Adding substitutes triggers 12-hour club wait—plan accordingly to avoid missing critical matches.
Team Rewards Breakdown
Fragment Rewards by Rank:
Rank 1: 2000 per member
Rank 2: 1500 per member
Rank 3: 1200 per member
Ranks 4-8: 800 per member
Ranks 9-16: 600 per member
Ranks 17-50: 500 per member
Example: 5-player Rank 1 team = 10,000 total Fragments; 7-player = 14,000 Fragments.
Echo Costs & Limited Items
COA IX Essences:
168-318 Echoes per pull
S-tier drop rate: 1-3%
Guaranteed S-tier: 60-250 pulls (essence-dependent)
60-pull cycle: 10,080 Echoes
Limited Skins: 1188-1888 Echoes direct purchase.
January 1, 2026 Recharge Reset (00:00 UTC+8):
Double Echoes on first-time purchases
Cumulative rewards:
300: [Graffiti] Villain Charm + 60 Inspirations
1000: 200 Inspirations
2000: [Portrait] Villain Charm + 400 Inspirations
5000: 1000 Inspirations
Total at 5000: 1660 Inspirations
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Additional Rewards
Spectator Rewards: 50-200 Fragments through watch time, predictions, interactive elements.
Final Question Event (Jan 29, 2026): Abyss Treasure IX x20.
Abyss Treasure IX availability: Jan 8, 2026-May 5, 2026, 23:59.
Championship portrait frames and badges remain exclusive—permanent prestige items.
Inspiration Farming Strategies
January 1, 2026 recharge reset = optimal stockpiling window. 5000 cumulative recharge = 1660 Inspirations (60+200+400+1000)—weeks of farming in one transaction.
Match Types:
Quick Matches: 12:00-22:00 (flexible, lower yield)
Ranked Matches: 12:00-14:00, 19:00-21:00 (higher yield, limited windows)
Deduction Missions: Prioritize characters near tier completion for bonus inspirations.
Ranked vs Quick Match Efficiency
Ranked Matches:
Superior inspiration-per-hour during 12:00-14:00, 19:00-21:00
Shorter queue times (competitive players concentrated)
20-30% higher per-match yield vs Quick
Quick Matches:
Extended availability (12:00-22:00)
Lower pressure, irregular schedules
Longer match times
Hunter Advantage: Faster matches (8-10 min), higher individual impact = more games per hour.
Event Multipliers
COA season likely includes inspiration multipliers (bonus weekends, daily login bonuses)—monitor announcements Jan 8-28, 2026.
Abyss Treasure IX (Jan 8-May 5, 2026) suggests extended engagement incentives.
Most Reliable Source: Cumulative recharge rewards. 5000 tier's 1000 Inspirations = 50-100 hours optimized farming.
Advanced Inspiration Management
Conversion Timing:
Convert after Jan 1 reset for double Echo bonus
Hold until COA Essence release to adjust based on designs
60-Pull Threshold: 10,080 Echoes guarantees S-tier, eliminates randomness. Direct-purchase skins (1188-1888 Echoes) often better value for specific items.
F2P Resource Allocation
Core Choice: Cosmetics vs competitive prep (character unlocks, talents, persona web).
Daily Missions: 20-50 inspirations/day. Dec 31, 2025-Jan 15, 2026 = 300-750 total (2-4 essence pulls or partial skin progress).
Event Participation: Final Question's Abyss Treasure IX x20 (Jan 29) likely converts to inspirations.
Target Stockpiles
Completionists: 15,000-20,000 Echoes (all exclusives: essences + direct skins + accessories).
Casual Participants: 5000 inspirations (1-2 skins OR 15-20 essence pulls). Achievable via F2P + modest recharge (1000-2000 tier).
Competitive Focus: Minimal reserves. Convert to character/talent upgrades. Use Fragment rewards (500-2000 per member) for post-tournament cosmetics.
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Benefits:
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Reliable transaction processing
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Optimal Timing: January 1, 2026 recharge reset. Double Echo bonus + cumulative rewards = maximum value.
FAQ
When does COA IX registration open? Dec 31, 2025 after maintenance. Closes Jan 15, 2026, 09:00 UTC+8 (S4) or Jan 14, 2026, 09:00 UTC+8 (S1). Effective deadline: Jan 13, 2026, 21:00 UTC+8 (club wait + points).
Team requirements? 1-7 players (5 min for qualifiers), max 1 non-permanent resident. 1500 Quick/Ranked OR 3000 Duo Hunters points. Club membership 12+ hours before matches count.
Inspiration stockpile target? Casual: 5000 inspirations. Completionists: 15,000-20,000 Echoes worth. Jan 1, 2026 recharge (5000 tier) = 1660 Inspirations—most efficient for paying players.
Team rewards? Rank 1: 2000 Fragments/member. Rank 2: 1500. Rank 3: 1200. Ranks 4-8: 800. Ranks 9-16: 600. Ranks 17-50: 500. Plus exclusive frames, badges, spectator rewards (50-200 Fragments).
Fastest inspiration farming? Ranked (12:00-14:00, 19:00-21:00) = highest per-hour. Cumulative recharge (5000 tier's 1000 Inspirations) = 50-100 hours farming equivalent—fastest for paying players.
COA IX reveal show date? Championship: Jan 8-28, 2026. Final Question: Jan 29, 2026. Reveal likely during Radiant Altar (Jan 22-29). NA-EU rankings finalize Jan 29 evening Server Time.
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