Yooka-Laylee: Playtonic decides to make the Switch, Wii U version cancelled, new trailer
Today, Playtonic Games posted a blog post on their official website, in order to make a couple of really important announcement. But first, they took the time to write a few lines to thank fans for their support throughout 2016!
Yooka-Laylee: release date
The first big news is what fans have been waiting for: the release date. Yooka-Laylee will be released on April 11th, and will cost £34.99 / $39.99 / €39.99 for non-Kickstarter backers (both digital and physical, with pre-orders starting very soon). Fans who pre-order the game on specific platform will even get the Yooka-Laylee toybox (as an insta-unlock).
If you backed the game on Kickstarter, and would like to upgrade your pledge in order to get a physical copy, will soon be able to do so. Playtonic Games is currently trying to find the best delivery method for that, as backers need to receive their copy early on (and not weeks later after the game’s release). If you’re a backer, you will receive an email as soon as everything is ready.
Yooka-Laylee: Time to Switch It Up!
Now, you might be wondering why we haven’t mentioned the Wii U yet until now, and there’s a good reasons for that: the Wii U version of Yooka-Laylee has been cancelled. Playtonic Games explains that this is due to “unforeseen technical issues” that the development team were not available to overcome (despite exploring every possible avenue).
When Stardew Valley on Wii U was cancelled, and a Nintendo Switch version announced to replace it, we explained that it wasn’t the first or last time such an announcement would be made, and it looks like we were spot on.
Yooka-Laylee may be skipping the Wii U, but it’s definitely going to be released on the Nintendo Switch instead: Playtonic Games explained that they were “now working very closely with Nintendo” in order to get the game on the platform. More details about that version will be revealed… wait for it… in January.
In the mean time, Wii U backers have several options:
- they can move their pledge to another version (digital), free of charge
- they can upgrade to the Nintendo Switch version. More details about that will also be shared next year.
The list of confirmed games for the Nintendo Switch and the Upcoming Releases page have been updated!
Yooka-Laylee: Wii U FAQ
If you have questions about the Wii U version of Yooka-Laylee, you can check out this Q&A page for additional details. They explain why it took so long for them to make such an announcement: because “developers worked tirelessly over many months in attempt to solve our technical issues”.
Wii U backers have the options listed above, but those of you who want a refund no matter can send a mail to Playtonic Games (the address can be found on the Q&A page).
Yooka-Laylee: Introducing the Capital Cashino
Today, Playtonic Games also shared the latest trailer for Yooka-Laylee. It showcases a brand new world called Capital Cashion which is all about casinos (the name made that pretty obvious!). It features casino floors, discotheques, oversized roulette tables, and more. Quite interestingly, players will be able win casino tokens, and exchange them with the banker for the pivotal Pagies.
In previous reports, Playtonic Games explained that all worlds would be expandable, and Capital Cashino is no exception. Players will be able to make the environment even larger and more complex, with new areas to explore, characters to meet, and challenges to complete. Oh, and don’t forget to say hi to Dr Puzz: she will have a “head-spinning transformation” for you!
Here’s the latest trailer for Yooka-Laylee:
Yooka-Laylee (Switch) will be released next year.
Source: Playtonic Games
