The ongoing lawsuit between the creator and former owner of the Duke Nukem franchise, 3D Realms, as well as the present owner of the IP Gearbox Software, has now come to an end- both the companies appear to have come to a settlement on the issue, and it seems as though Gearbox will retain full rights to the franchise, though 3D Realms and Interceptor will be allowed to release Duke Nukem Mass Destruction.

“We never intended to cause any harm to Gearbox or Duke, which is why we immediately ceased development after Gearbox reached out,” a joint statement issued by 3D Realms and Gearbox said.

“To secure the future of Duke, 3D Realms has agreed with Gearbox that a single home serves the IP best. And as big Duke fans, we’re excited to see what Gearbox has in store for the ‘King.’ As for our own games, we’re eager to complete development of the ‘Bombshell’ game and get it in the hands of our fans.”

Of course, it remains to be seen whether Gearbox will actually do something with the Duke Nukem IP- studio boss Randy Pitchford seems to have been hinting at a new game in the franchise for a while now, but for now, Duke Nukem Forever is the only ‘modern’ thing the franchise has done in ages.

Interceptor has officially bought out 3D Realms, the studio that co-developed titles such as Duke Nukem, Wolfenstein 3D and Prey. It’s interesting that they have done so at a time when 3D Realms are actually in the middle of a lawsuit with Gearbox.

Mike Nielsen, Interceptor’s chairman, has been named as the new CEO for 3D Realms. “3D Realms is legendary for its contributions to the gaming industry, as both the pioneer of the shareware model and an always generous partner who has provided both funding and guidance to game studios such as id Software, Parallax Software, Remedy Entertainment, and many others,” Nielsen said

“3D Realms has also developed, co-developed, and co-financed such hits as Commander Keen, Duke Nukem, Wolfenstein 3D, Rise of the Triad, Raptor, Shadow Warrior and Prey,” Nielsen continued. “There are only a handful of independent studios with a better track record of original games. Yet even with this stellar track record, we hope we can take the company to new heights.”

“D Realms has always been a defining part the PC games industry,” said Interceptor boss Frederik Schreiber. “Getting 3D Realms under our wings is a huge step for us and we are extremely excited about the acquisition.

“My long time partner George Broussard and I are extremely proud of our past, especially as developers who always tried to partner with up-and-coming studios who just needed their break.”

“Our history shows we did that throughout the 1990s and 2000s, and I expect the new 3D Realms to continue with this tradition in full force,” Schreiber continued. “Our industry needs more good guys, who honor the profession and fellow hard-working developers.”

Stay tuned, we’ll keep you updated on this story as more info comes our way.

Source: [Eurogamer]

After the game had spent over a decade in the worst kind of development hell/limbo, Gearbox Software finally managed to finish Duke Nukem Forever and get it released. The game sucked, but at least it was out.

One of the stipulations of that entire arrangement was that Gearbox apparently got all future rights to the Duke Nukem IP. So when 3D Realms and Interceptor announce Duke Nukem: Mass Destruction for the PlayStation 4 and PC earlier this month, a top down isometric RPG starring the King, Gearbox was understandably unhappy. And now they are suing the two companies for unlawfully ‘exploiting [Gearbox’s] IP.’

“Recently — and without consulting the Duke IP’s actual owner, Gearbox — Interceptor announced its intent to develop a Duke Nukem game based upon the various characters, content and intellectual property owned by Gearbox,” the official complaint reads. “Apparently, after selling its Duke Nukem IP rights to Gearbox in 2010, 3DR sought to privately convince others that the sale never happened. The result is the unauthorized development effort that reportedly exists between 3DR and Interceptor.”

Well, more drama around a brand that is now entirely irrelevant. Stay tuned, I guess.

[Breach Notice]