Hail to the King Baby: Duke Nukem Forever Confirmed (Again)

The saga of Duke Nukem Forever may be one of the most unlikely tales in gaming. It’s the most infamous example of “vaporware” in existence, having been in development for ten years before 3D Realms, the studio behind it, was shut down last year.

At the time, it was seen as the final nail in the coffin for Duke. Rumors that the game is actually still underway have been met with both derision and indifference, but today at PAX, it’s been confirmed – the King is back, and you’ll never guess who’s making it happen (or maybe you will, if you’ve been paying attention).

The game is now being handled by none other than Borderlands developers Gearbox Software. Watching the official, live 2K Games USTREAM of the announcement moments ago, the most striking thing about this reveal is how unbelievably excited people are, and with Gearbox at the helm, it’s no wonder.

“I’ve been waiting for this game for a long time,” said one seriously overexcited fan as he waited in line for the announcement and hands-on time with the game. His sentiments were echoed across the board.
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How does it actually look, though? The last time we saw (reportedly) leaked footage, seen in the video above, it seemed a little dated, to say the least. Duke’s signature humor was there (“Not another f*cking puzzle..”), but the graphics, weapons and AI all gave off a last-gen sort of vibe.

The purported fact that Gearbox is building on the game that 3D Realms started, rather than starting from scratch, will be reassuring to some and foreboding to others. On one hand, sticking with the original concept and design will ensure the entry is true to the series. On the other hand, game design has evolved a lot in the last ten years.

Though direct video of the screen was discouraged, we still caught some glimpses during the live stream, as well as comments from gamers. “It was fun,” said one. “Graphics need some polish, but it’s pretty early still.”

At the time of this posting, the live stream had amassed nearly 20,000 viewers. It’s safe to assume that some high-quality footage (and a trailer, most likely) will hit the internet later today, and when it does, you can see it here at Kombo.

Will Duke Nukem Forever be a true next-gen return for the meathead hero, or will it simply be a novel blast from the past? With the talent at Gearbox behind it, let’s hope it’s the former.