Duke Nukem will not have his day in court.
All three parties involved in a recent lawsuit over the use of the Duke Nukem character from the series of lewd shooters have settled and have made a joint statement. In February 2014, developer Gearbox sued developers 3D Realms and Interceptor for using the Duke Nukem intellectual property. Gearbox acquired the rights to Duke Nukem in 2010, but it noticed that 3D Realms was still going to use the name in a game called Duke Nukem: Mass Destruction. That led to the suit, which all three parties have now settled.
Under the deal, Gearbox will retain the full rights to Duke Nukem, and Interceptor will continue developing Mass Destruction under the new name “Bombshell.” But all the involved companies refused to disclose the financial terms of the agreement.
You can read the full statements from all the involved parties right here, but we’ve included some of the highlights below:
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Joint statement from 3D Realms, Interceptor, and Gearbox:
“Gearbox Software, 3D Realms and Interceptor Entertainment have resolved their differences; the parties have voluntarily ended all litigation between them.”
3D Realms chief executive Mike Nielsen:
“When Interceptor acquired a license to develop ‘Duke Nukem Mass Destruction’ (‘Duke Nukem Survivor’) from 3D Realms, we did so in good faith and were not aware of any conflict. We never intended to cause any harm to Gearbox or Duke, which is why we immediately ceased development after Gearbox reached out. 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.”
Gearbox statement:
“Gearbox Software has voluntarily ended its litigation against Interceptor Entertainment and 3D Realms, and wishes to keep the terms of its settlement confidential except to confirm that Gearbox Software is the full and rightful owner of the Duke Nukem franchise.”
