Yooka-Laylee Publishing to Be Handled by Team17, Retail Release Under Consideration

Yooka-Laylee, the Kickstarter funded spiritual successor to Banjo-Kazooie, will be published by Team17, it has been revealed.

Team17 is known primarily for developing the Worms series, but has taken steps into the publishing world with titles including The Escapists. In addition to publishing, the company will assist with localisation, QA, marketing, certification and "other business matters."

“Team17 has significant experience in making the most of releasing a game,” Gavin Price, Playtonic creative lead and studio head, told MCV.

“Personally I feel it would be a great shame if after our great Kickstarter success, we delivered on our promise of a great game and then it underperformed sales-wise because we didn’t have the knowledge, or made a mistake in the way we released or marketed the game.

Team17 has also indicated it has a desire to make a physical version of Yooka-Laylee available.

"There is a large demand for a physical game," said Debbie Bestwick, Team17's managing director. “Playtonic took the decision not to include this in the Kickstarter for the very reason that it could impact on development and at the time of their Kickstarter it would have been a big risk.

"Team17 has lots of experience in physical and will share ideas and opportunities with Playtonic - so absolutely we will be looking into it.”

Yooka-Laylee is being developed by former Rare staffers. It's Kickstarter campaign closed having generated just short of $3.3 million.

The game was first unveiled at the end of April, when Playtonic asked for about $260,000 in crowdfunding. That target was surpassed in less than an hour, and it went on to become one of the most highly funded games in Kickstarter history.

Stretch goals allowed the game's scope expand with the inclusion of multiplayer modes, an orchestral score, and free DLC for backers. The game is expected to be released in October 2016 for PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Wii U.