A pre-release look at Scott Pilgrim EX, what’s new versus Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game, and what returning fans should expect on every platform.
Scott Pilgrim EX is not just Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game with a new coat of paint. Tribute Games is pitching this as a “brand-new adventure brawler,” and the details behind that phrase matter a lot if you already know every pixel of the 2010 classic and its 2021 Complete Edition rerelease.
With the game launching March 3 on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam, this is very much a fresh starting point that still leans hard on the nostalgia of the original game, the graphic novels, and the Netflix anime. Here is what’s actually different, what carries over in spirit, and what returning fans should realistically expect.
A New Timeline And A New Toronto
The original Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game was a straight-shot adaptation of the books and film: a linear march through themed stages, each ending with one of the Evil Exes. Scott Pilgrim EX rips that structure up and starts from a stranger place.
This time the story is set in Toronto, 20XX, after the events of the Netflix anime. The city is carved up by three bizarre factions called the VEGANS, the ROBOTS, and the DEMONS, and mysterious forces kidnap Scott’s bandmates. The result is a time-warped Toronto that folds in deep-cut references, weird side characters, and locations that feel more like a video game’s overworld than a simple level select.
That change in premise is backed by a brand-new script co-written by Scott Pilgrim creator Bryan Lee O’Malley. Instead of retelling the Evil Exes saga yet again, EX is positioned as a new chapter for the universe. Long-time fans should expect familiar faces and jokes, but not a panel-by-panel rerun of the books or film.
From Straight Beat ’Em Up To “Adventure-Brawler”
Structurally, this is the biggest departure from Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game. The original was a classic belt-scroller where you plowed from left to right, hoovered up money, and occasionally ducked into shops on a map screen.
Scott Pilgrim EX is built around an interconnected city instead of a pure stage-by-stage progression. You are still side-scrolling and punching everything in sight, but now you are:
Exploring different districts of a “video game warped Toronto,” tackling quests, and revisiting areas to find secrets.
Running into returning NPCs and new oddballs who hand out objectives instead of only serving as shopkeepers or background gags.
Using coins and items to tune character builds more deliberately, rather than just grinding stats between runs.
Tribute calls this an adventure-brawler because there is more emphasis on navigation, discovery, and light RPG decision making. If you liked the tight, arcade-like loop of the original game, expect a broader structure that’s closer to a hub-and-missions model while keeping the pace of a traditional beat ’em up once fists start flying.
Seven Playable Characters, With Two New Headliners
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game gradually built up a solid roster, but it stayed pretty grounded in the core heroes. Scott Pilgrim EX arrives with seven playable characters from day one and wastes no time getting weirder.
Scott and Ramona are back, as you would expect, with move sets that lean into their established archetypes. Scott is still the scrappy, combo-friendly brawler, while Ramona brings more reach and visual flair to her attacks.
The big twist this time is that antagonists are fully playable from the start. The latest trailer confirms Matthew Patel and Robot-01 as part of the roster, and they are not treated as simple reskins.
Matthew Patel is a theatrical, ritual-heavy fighter who leans into his demon-summoning stage persona. His kit uses flame bursts, lingering traps, and even the infamous demon hipsters to lock down crowds and create chaotic, screen-filling finishers. He reads less like a standard “punch and kick” character and more like a brawler-style mage.
Robot-01, by contrast, is built around speed and precision. Thrusters, dashes, and mechanical transformations give it a hit-and-run style that should appeal to anyone who wanted something faster than Scott or Steven Stills in the original. Preview footage shows it zipping across the arena with boosted lunges and aerial strings that look tailor-made for high-level combo play.
The remaining cast rounds out a full band of distinct archetypes rather than palette swaps. If you spent years perfecting one main in the original game, EX is aiming to give you multiple mains that actually feel different in your hands.
Combat: Familiar Foundation, Deeper Expression
Moment to moment, Scott Pilgrim EX still looks and sounds like the game you remember: chunky hits, screen shakes, and Tribute’s very specific brand of 2D animation. The difference lies in how far it lets you push that combat.
EX is built around improvisation and expression. Attacks cancel into one another more fluidly, and the designers are highlighting “creative combo strings” and environmental mayhem. Anything that can be turned into a weapon, from trash cans to guitars, is a piece of your toolkit rather than a throwaway prop.
On top of that, EX introduces a badge system. Badges are equippable modifiers that tune your stats and passive abilities, layered on top of the usual coins and items. Instead of just pumping numbers at a shop, you are putting together builds that can change how a character plays over a run.
Want a glass-cannon Scott who deletes crowds but folds quickly, or a tanky Ramona with health and crowd control perks? That kind of granularity simply did not exist in Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game, which was more about slowly inflating stats. Expect EX to support more experimentation and distinct loadouts between players, especially in co-op.
Co-op And Online Play Finally Catch Up
Co-op has always been central to Scott Pilgrim as a game, but the original release and even the Complete Edition were built in an era when online play was more fragile. Netcode quirks, platform-specific issues, and the lack of modern conveniences sometimes undercut what was otherwise a beloved beat ’em up.
Scott Pilgrim EX is designed from the ground up around both couch and online co-op for up to four players, with drop-in and drop-out support. That means you can start a run solo and have friends seamlessly jump in, or build a full party from the title screen and keep it together as you roam Toronto.
Because the adventure structure encourages revisiting old neighborhoods and chasing quests, playing cooperatively is less about grinding the same level and more about gradually carving a path through the city together. Tribute is also promising crossplay support via the game’s Steam FAQ, which should make it far easier to get a squad together across PC and console, though specific cross-platform pairings may vary by ecosystem.
For returning fans, the expectation should be simple: this is the most fully featured co-op Scott Pilgrim has had to date, not a patched-up version of the 2010 netcode.
Music And Style: New Tracks, Same Heart
One of the reasons Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game achieved cult status was Anamanaguchi’s soundtrack. Scott Pilgrim EX does not walk away from that legacy. Anamanaguchi is back with an all-new score, written specifically for this warped Toronto timeline.
The visual identity is also evolving rather than rebooting. EX keeps the chunky pixel art and expressive animation that defined the earlier game, but the environmental design is looser and more surreal to fit the time-bending premise. Districts controlled by DEMONS, VEGANS, or ROBOTS lean into exaggerated color palettes and visual jokes that you would not see in a simple retelling of the Evil Exes arc.
Think of it as a spiritual sequel that purposely refuses to be tied to a single source, happy to mash together the comics, film, and anime into something stranger.
Platform Expectations And Performance Hopes
Scott Pilgrim EX is launching day one across PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC. Tribute is building it in the same engine they used for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge, which already scales well from current-gen hardware down to Switch and older consoles.
For returning Switch players in particular, that is important. Shredder’s Revenge delivered solid performance in both handheld and docked modes, and EX is following a similar side-scrolling template. You should expect a smooth experience and functional online play on Nintendo’s hardware rather than the sometimes-shaky feel of the original Scott Pilgrim port.
On PlayStation, Xbox, and PC, the expectation is a crisp 2D presentation with responsive inputs and stable online sessions. The big promise here is parity: the same core game, the same adventure structure, and co-op that behaves consistently no matter where you play.
So Who Is Scott Pilgrim EX For?
If you loved Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game and its Complete Edition rerelease, Scott Pilgrim EX is not trying to replace them. It is more like the wild sequel that game never received, using a looser continuity and new structure to try things the 2010 release could not.
Expect to see the same Tribute Games DNA in the crunchy brawling, exaggerated supers, and deep-cut references. Expect a more flexible co-op framework, characters that feel more distinct from one another, and a city you poke at from different angles instead of a single straight line.
For newcomers, this is arguably the more approachable starting point. You do not need to know the original plot backwards to enjoy EX, and the time-warped premise means the game can reintroduce characters on its own terms. For returning fans, the key is to go in looking for a new spin on Scott Pilgrim rather than a remastered victory lap. On March 3, we will finally get to see whether this adventure-brawler foundation is strong enough to carry the series into a new era of co-op chaos.