Yooka-Laylee, the 3D platformer and all-round Kickstarter darling from Playtonic Games that first made waves early last year, has finally secured an official release date: April 11, 2017.
Pitched as a spiritual successor to the beloved Banjo-Kazooie – Playtonic was originally formed by a handful of ex-Rare staffers, after all – Yooka-Laylee is now expected to make a beeline to PS4, Xbox One and PC in a few months’ time, though we understand the Wii U version has been scrapped due to “unforeseen technical issues.” In a status update today, Playtonic stressed that those who initially backed the Wii U port on Kickstarter will be able to alter their pledge to another platform at no extra cost.
Refunds are also available should you wish to pull the plug entirely, but given the developer has now teased the possibility of a Switch version, it’d probably be best to hold fire until additional information is made available. If you are one of the unfortunate few to have pledged support to Yooka-Laylee‘s Wii U version, keep an eye out for an email from Playtonic.
Meanwhile, if you wish to pre-order Playtonic’s debut title, you’ll unlock a novel game mode known as Toybox. It’s essentially a self-contained, sandbox-like experience that introduces the core mechanics of the platformer, while there’s also mention that backers will soon have the option to upgrade their pledge to a physical retail version. Stay tuned for more on that one.
On April 11, 2017, Yooka-Laylee will take flight for PS4, Xbox One and PC. Sadly, the Wii U version is no more, but with Switch looming on the horizon, there’s every chance that the cutesy platformer will become available for Nintendo players in due time.
