Wii U getting Rayman Legends online mode early

Ubisoft is to release the Rayman Legends online challenge mode as a timed exclusive on the Wii U eShop.

The move is being made to appease Wii U owners unhappy about the recent Rayman Legends delay - instead of releasing as a platform exclusive this month as originally planned, the game will now launch in September alongside Xbox 360 and PS3 editions.

Ubisoft recently announced plans to offer a new Wii U exclusive Rayman Legends demo as compensation for the delay, but it has now decided to release the series’ first online game mode instead. In a new video featuring Ubisoft Montpellier senior game manager Michael Micholic and creative director Michel Ancel, the pair said the challenge mode will be made available for free exclusively on the eShop "around the beginning of April".

Playable alone or with up to five players simultaneously, the five challenge types will take place in different settings offering “unique gameplay styles”. Featuring leaderboards and ghosts, new challenges will be generated on a daily basis. One challenge type called The Dungeon has been created exclusively for Wii U. It will require users “to master speed and rhythm on the GamePad's touchscreen".

On the subject of the game’s delay, Ubisoft Montpellier also said that the extra development time will allow the studio to add new characters, bosses and levels to Rayman Legends.