diff --git a/scripts/profile_sync.py b/scripts/profile_sync.py
index a7c9ba2a..4868bca7 100644
--- a/scripts/profile_sync.py
+++ b/scripts/profile_sync.py
@@ -4382,6 +4382,12 @@ def _passed_release(
     commit = upstream.tag_commit(repo, version.latest_release, args.cache_dir, args.offline)
     if not commit:
         return None
+    if version.tag_commit and version.tag_commit != commit:
+        # A project can publish a release older than its newest tag:
+        # pcsx2x6's latest release is v0.2.20, its declared tag v0.2.22.
+        older = upstream.ancestry(repo, commit, version.tag_commit, args.cache_dir, args.offline)
+        if older and older[1] == 0:
+            return None
     if commit == pin:
         return version.latest_release
     relation = upstream.ancestry(repo, commit, pin, args.cache_dir, args.offline)
diff --git a/tests/test_profile_sync.py b/tests/test_profile_sync.py
index 030b4761..202e75e0 100644
--- a/tests/test_profile_sync.py
+++ b/tests/test_profile_sync.py
@@ -3287,6 +3287,22 @@ class TestCheckVersion(unittest.TestCase):
         self.assertIn("already contains release v3.1.0", warning)
 
 
+class APassedReleaseIsNewerThanTheTag(unittest.TestCase):
+    """pcsx2x6 declares tag v0.2.22 while its latest published release is
+    v0.2.20: the pin holds v0.2.20 without core_version being older."""
+
+    def test_a_release_older_than_the_declared_tag_is_not_passed(self):
+        from unittest import mock  # noqa: PLC0415
+
+        version = profile_sync.VersionReport(
+            "v0.2.22", "v0.2.22", "v0.2.20", "2026-07-25", True, "tag22"
+        )
+        args = argparse.Namespace(cache_dir="c", offline=True)
+        with mock.patch.object(profile_sync.upstream, "tag_commit", return_value="rel20"), \
+                mock.patch.object(profile_sync.upstream, "ancestry", return_value=(5, 0)):
+            self.assertIsNone(profile_sync._passed_release(args, "repo", version, "pin"))
+
+
 class TestAncestry(unittest.TestCase):
     def setUp(self):
         self.tmp = tempfile.TemporaryDirectory()