'Yooka-Laylee' release date news: 3D platformer to come out in April 2017; Wii U version eliminated

Playtonic Games' upcoming 3D platform-adventure game "Yooka-Laylee" is about to be released, but it will no longer come to Wii U.

The game developer confirmed on its website that the spiritual successor of the '90s popular video game "Banjo-Kazooie" will be released on PlayStation 4 (PS4), Xbox One, PC, Mac and Linux editions on April 11, 2017.

The announcement also revealed that the Nintendo Wii U edition of the upcoming game has been scratched. According to the game developer, they encountered several unexpected technical issues that made it impossible for them to release "Yooka-Laylee" on the said platform.

Because of this development, Playtonic Games revealed that those who backed the game for its Wii U version on its Kickstarter campaign could move their pledge to its other versions without paying an extra fee.

But it does not mean that they will stop developing a version of the game for Nintendo, since they are currently looking for ways to bring it to the Japanese gaming firm's upcoming platform called Nintendo Switch. The Wii U backers can also upgrade their pledge to the Nintendo Switch version upon its release.

Those who did not pledge on Kickstarter can purchase the game for $39.99 / €39.99 / £34.99 in either the digital or the physical format from any participating stores all over the world.

The game developer also claimed that they will include an added bonus for those who preordered the game on PlayStation 4, Xbox One or PC. "As an extra special bonus, everyone who pre-orders Yooka-Laylee on PC, Xbox One or PS4 will receive an instant unlock of the Yooka-Laylee Toybox, which offers a taste of the platforming mechanics set to appear in the full game in a self-contained, spoiler free sandbox," Playtonic stated on its website.

A new gameplay trailer showing a new world called Capital Cashino was also provided with the release date announcement.