Yooka-Laylee Developer Hit with Layoffs

Summary

Playtonic has reportedly laid off staff members, including members from production, art, and VFX departments.
The layoffs raise concerns about the completion of the 2025-slated Yooka-Replayee remaster.
Despite the layoffs, there has been no word on if Yooka-Replayee's release plans have been impacted.

Playtonic, the UK-based studio behind the Yooka-Laylee platformer series, has reportedly laid off multiple staff members across various departments, according to posts shared by current and former employees. Currently, Playtonic is finishing its remaster of the original Yooka-Laylee title that is expected to hit the stores in 2025. The company also has a publishing division, Playtonic Friends, which has helped independent developers since 2021.

Playtonic was founded in 2014 by ex-Rare developers and made its name with Yooka-Laylee, a 3D platformer created as a spiritual successor to the Banjo-Kazooie series. The project was funded through a successful Kickstarter campaign and released in 2017 to mixed reviews. The company is currently working on Yooka-Replaylee, the remastered version of the original Yooka-Laylee title, and publishing games such as Demon Tides and Cattle Country.

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Posts

By Tyler Shipley

The layoffs were reported on LinkedIn by current and former employees, as spotted by Destructoid. According to posts, the layoffs include individuals from various roles, with personnel from at least production, art, and VFX. The scope of the layoffs has not been publicly confirmed by the studio, but LinkedIn updates indicate multiple team members have been affected and made redundant. The news naturally raises concerns about Playtonic’s current and future projects, including the 2025-slated remaster Yooka-Replayee. The remaster of the original game has yet to receive a release date, and there's no official word whether the layoffs are going to affect the company's plans.

Layoffs Add Uncertainty to Playtonic's Development and Publishing Plans

The original Yooka-Laylee gained traction thanks to well-written characters and exciting gameplay, capturing the spirit of classic 3D platformers. The studio has been hard at work to replicate the game's success, and according to early sneak previews of the remaster, it was well on its way to achieving that goal with the same excellent characters, a few important gameplay additions, and upgraded visuals.

While the remaster should arrive soon, as long as the layoffs don't affect it too much, it is not an entirely new episode in the saga of the beloved chameleon and bat. The hope is now that the release of Yooka-Replayee can turn the ship and get Playtonic back on track with more original games.

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