It’s been nearly six years since the Ubisoft-published Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Game got delisted from digital storefronts, making it impossible to buy or play the beat-’em-up if you didn’t already own it. But the Montreal-based company surprised everyone during its September digital conference by announcing that the game, which is based on the Bryan Lee O’Malley comics, will make a return.
Ubisoft says the digital title will be available holiday 2020 for Google Stadia, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Windows PC, and Xbox One. It will be a complete release that will come with DLC added to the original game, including Knives Chau and Wallace Wells as playable characters. No word on a physical release, however.
For a while, the return of Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Game seemed unlikely. Just a month ago, O’Malley tweeted that he would be “surprised” if Ubisoft ever decided to bring the game back. Possibly, it helped that the 10-year anniversary of the cult classic movie directed by Edgar Wright drummed up a lot of nostalgia for the property. A Kotaku article about frustrated fans who wished the game was still available went viral after nearly everyone involved with the game or the movie endorsed it. For example, chiptune band Anamanaguchi, who crafted the memorable soundtrack for the game, asked fans to tag Ubisoft and plead for a re-release of some sort. Many heeded the call.
The pining makes sense. Beyond concerns of game preservation or nostalgia, the comics are heavily enmeshed with video game culture. It’s not just that O’Malley makes references to old-school video games — the entire framework of the comic borrows heavily from video game concepts. Scott Pilgrim, after all, wants to defeat 7 evil ex-boyfriends who are basically video game bosses. In short, the comic lended itself readily to a video game adaptation. Seeing Pilgrim and friends in lavish pixel art felt natural.
Ubisoft claims it’s working to address reports of harassment, sexual misconduct, and racial insensitivity at the company, in the wake of employees speaking out about a longstanding toxic work culture. Since those stories emerged, multiple executives have resigned or been fired from Ubisoft. The company’s CEO, Yves Guillemot, issued a public apology in a video released ahead of the company’s latest Ubisoft Forward presentation, saying he’s “fully committed to leading the change at Ubisoft and to ensuring we always uphold and exemplify our core values.” Guillemot’s comments were notably not included in the live Ubisoft Forward presentation.
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