Rayman Legends online challenge mode coming exclusively to Wii U in April

Wii U owners will get exclusive access to Rayman Legends' online challenge mode in April, the game's creators said in a development update, adding that response to the recently announced delay of the game "definitely hurt."

In a video update posted to Facebook, Rayman Legends senior game designer Michael Micholic and creative director Michel Ancel addressed fans.

"We just wanted to reach out and let you know how truly humbled we were by the outpouring of support from the community and fans about the announcement of the delay of Rayman Legends," said Micholic. "It definitely hurt us to see you guys so upset by the delay."

Ancel says the development team will use the extra time to add characters, bosses, "even new levels... which is good for the game."

"We know you guys just want to play the game as soon as possible," Micholic said, announcing that "what we're going to do is release the full online challenge mode exclusively to Wii U fans." Ubisoft had previously announced that a second demo would be released exclusively for Wii U.

The Rayman developers explain in a gameplay preview that Legends' online challenge mode will feature weekly and daily multiplayer challenges, each with their own leaderboards. The mode will support up to five players and feature downloadable ghosts that allow players to compare their runs with others.

The full version of Rayman Legends will be released for Wii U, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 this September.