Sixteen years is a long time to wait for a sequel in any medium, and the video game industry is not known for its patience. Yet the gap between the cult-favourite 2010 brawler Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Game and its spiritual successor, Scott Pilgrim EX, has if anything sharpened the appetite for what Tribute Games has delivered. The new title launched on March 3, 2026, across PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch and Switch 2, priced at AU$47.45.
The creative pedigree behind the project is formidable. The game was developed by Tribute Games and published by Universal, with a new story written by series author Bryan Lee O'Malley. Tribute Games represents a reunion of sorts: members of the team worked on the 2010 original at Ubisoft before forming the current studio, which went on to produce the well-regarded Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge and Marvel Cosmic Invasion. Renowned pixel artist Paul Robertson also contributed visual work, completing a creative team that reads less like an assembled crew and more like a considered homecoming.
The soundtrack carries its own weight of expectation. Anamanaguchi previously worked on the soundtrack for the 2010 game and scored the 2023 animated Netflix series Scott Pilgrim Takes Off. The sprawling 71-track soundtrack was recorded at Valve Studios in Dallas with producer Casey di Iorio, and "synthesizes the band's legendary electronic origins with their fuzzed out garage rock present." Most of the compositions were completed with minimal gear while the band toured in support of their 2025 album Anyway, leading them to lean into software designed for older gaming systems. The result is a score that treats chiptune not as mere nostalgia dressing but as a compositional language with genuine craft behind it.
The game's most significant structural departure from its predecessor is a shift away from isolated linear stages. Unlike comparable classic beat 'em ups, and the recent Tribute Games titles, EX is not broken into levels. Scott Pilgrim EX introduces an open-ended version of Toronto that players slowly open up and explore as the story progresses. Three enemy factions, robots, demons, and vegan gang members, populate the city streets. Defeating them yields coins to spend at shops, feeding RPG-style stat upgrades that provide just enough of a sense of progression to keep the brawling loop feeling purposeful.
The story, co-written by O'Malley, casts mechanical villain Metal Scott as the antagonist who abducts Scott's bandmates and scatters them across time and space. EX takes place sometime after the events of the graphic novel, with Scott and Ramona seemingly an item and Knives Chau now officially part of Sex Bob-omb; Metal Scott abducts the band and transports them and their instruments into parallel dimensions. The various settings, prehistoric, gothic fantasy, science fiction, serve as the game's equivalent of level themes, filtered through what Kotaku describes as a homage to the classic RPG Chrono Trigger.
Critical reception has been broadly warm. IGN rated the game 8 out of 10, praising Tribute Games for successfully expanding on the foundations of the earlier title while adding greater depth and replay value, and highlighting the light RPG mechanics, varied playable characters, and engaging world as key strengths. The Gamer awarded it 4 out of 5, describing it as "leaps and bounds ahead of the original game" with only minor stumbles. Game Informer landed at 7.75, noting the game is light on mechanical surprises while still delivering a satisfying experience for fans of the franchise and the genre alike.
Not every reviewer is unconditional in their praise. The Gamer observed that the one area where the game's grasp of the source material stumbles is the writing and dialogue, which at times lacks the edge and wit one might expect. The open Toronto structure adds flavour to what is otherwise a mostly familiar brawler, but it is not quite the genre-changer it might have been. These are genuine criticisms from fans invested in the franchise, not casual dismissals, and they reflect real trade-offs Tribute Games made in deciding where to concentrate its creative energy.
The game supports up to four-player co-op both locally and online, and the official soundtrack is available digitally across streaming platforms, with a CD and vinyl release available for pre-order. For a franchise that spent several years in apparent hibernation following the cancellation of its Netflix continuation, Scott Pilgrim EX represents a considered and largely successful effort to prove that a beloved property still has room to grow. The game is available on Steam and all major consoles. Those curious about the band's body of work can explore Anamanaguchi's official site, which documents their long creative relationship with the Scott Pilgrim universe.