Playtonic Games - which is currently working on finalising Yooka-Laylee for launch - has published a blog post announcing that two former Rare designers have joined the ranks at the studio. Throughout the development of Yooka-Laylee the studio has been picking up various former Rare employees, including coders and character artists.

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Image: Andy and Gary / Playtonic Games

Enter Andy Wilson and Gary Richards - originally joining Rare almost 20 years ago as QA testers on a multitude of handheld titles, the pair soon worked as designers. Wilson worked on games such as Donkey Kong 64 and Conker's Bad Fur Day, while Richards retained his handheld roots with titles like Donkey Kong Land III.

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Image: Playtonic Games

Yooka-Laylee is currently slated for a April 2017 release on multiple platforms. The title was backed on Kickstarter, and while it was cancelled on Wii U, it was announced that the title would be brought to the Nintendo Switch; no firm window has been given for that release.

Considering the nature of the Nintendo Switch, it might be safe to assume that Andy and Gary will hold a major role with the system's version of the title.

[source playtonicgames.com]