Secret Duke Nukem game allegedly in development

Publisher Take-Two has signed an agreement with a ‘well known’ studio to develop an unannounced Duke Nukem game, according to a GamePolitics report, despite the fate of the current Forever project suspended in legal flux.

Court documents filed last week by former Duke Nukem Forever developer 3D Realms – in response to Take-Two’s stern lawsuit documents – provide a number of counter-claims against the suing publisher.

The developer claims that Take-Two agreed to forward over $2.5 million to help fund the development, but only after the publisher met with 3D Realms to review the status of the game.

This allegation is likely intended to counter Take-Two’s insinuation that 3D Realms was failing to successfully develop the project. As Take-Two also claims it had provided that $2.5 million advance, 3D Realms is therefore suggesting the publisher must have been satisfied with progress of the game; a sentiment nowhere to be seen in Take-Two’s statement.

However, 3D Realms’ statement goes on to say that repayment of that advance would come from one, or two, sources:

“Repayment of the $2,500,000 was to come from royalties generated by sales of the DNF game and/or a new Duke Nukem-based game being developed in parallel by a separate well-known game developer under contract with Take-Two.”

This game is not thought to be the Duke Nukem Trilogy, which is not being published by Take-Two. It means that there could be another Duke Nukem game in development.

3D Realms goes on to allege that it was not given a deadline for Duke Nukem Forever back in October 2007. “However, the development agreement for the new Duke Nukem-based game (not to be confused with the DNF game) being developed by the separate game developer scheduled the new Duke Nukem-based game to be completed by mid-2010.”

The developer goes on to claim that the $2.5 million advance was only due to be reimbursed to Take-Two if, and only if, “the DNF game was not commercially released before October 22, 2012.”

3D Realms adds that, under such circumstances, the amount owed back from the advance would be deducted by “royalties from sales of the new Duke Nukem-based game.”

No verdict on the matter has been reached. In regards to the alleged new Duke Nukem game, Develop has contacted the parties involved for comment.

Update 1:

Gamepolitics has unearthed further details from the court document, which you can read for yourself here.

The secret game was given the working title of Duke Begins. 3D Realms alleges that Take Two has shut down the project, also claiming that Take Two denies these rumours.

A 3D Realms statement reads:

“Take Two and/or its subsidiary 2K Games halted or otherwise cancelled all development work by the third-party game developer on the Duke Begins game in April 2009… without [3D Realms’] approval or consent…

“When [3D Realms] confronted Take-Two and 2K Games about the… cancellation of the Duke Begins development work… Take-Two and 2K Games simply denied it.”