Playtonic Reveals Multiplayer Modes For Yooka-Laylee

Remember the days when your friend could pick up the controller and play with you on the same system, in the same room? It seems Playtonic Games, composed of former Rare developers who had hands on Nintendo 64-era titles, is fond of those days, too, as the age of local co-op is yet behind us. Publisher Team17 announced today that the 3D character-platformer Yooka-Laylee, developed by Playtonic Games, will feature multiplayer in the form of mini arcade games found in Rextro’s Arcade. These eight multiplayer modes can be played in either single player for the top spot on the leaderboards or in local couch co-op with up to four players and will include modes such as arena-brawler Glaciators, kart-racer Kartos Karting, capture the flag-esque Blag the Flag, shoot-em-up Gun-let Run, and more.

In conjunction with the arcade multiplayer modes, Yooka-Laylee will incorporate cooperative play in the main storyline. Player two — an oddity to say in this new console generation — will commandeer the Bee Team, providing support for the titular characters in their grand adventure by collecting quills and butterflies and preventing some traps to assist the game’s heroes in their travels. Collecting all the special play coins found throughout the single player campaign will allow you to upgrade the arcade cabinets for a chance to win rare prizes.

Yooka-Laylee will release worldwide on April 11 and hits the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Linux, macOS, PC, Steam, and Windows 10; a retail version will be available for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in select retailers, though there’s no word on which retailers at this moment. Those who preorder either digital or physical editions from distributors like  in the US and GAME in the UK will receive immediate access to the Yooka-Laylee Toybox, which gives a slice of the platforming action set to appear in the full game.

You can watch the multiplayer trailer above.