Gearbox takes full control of Duke Nukem franchise after legal settlement

After being caught in a legal tug of war for nearly a year and a half, the storied (and battered) Duke Nukem franchise has finally ended up in the hands of Gearbox Software. The Borderlands developer, which finally published the long-delayed and ill-received Duke Nukem Forever in 2011, said in a statement this morning that all pending litigation had been settled and that it "is the full and rightful owner of the Duke Nukem franchise."

The legal battle started in February 2014, after 3D Realms and licensee Interceptor started teasing "an isometric action role-playging game" called Duke Nukem: Mass Destruction. That got the attention of Gearbox, which thought it had purchased all rights to the Duke Nukem name and franchise in 2010, when it took over work on Forever.

3D Realms CEO Mike Nielsen said that the company's attempt to license the Duke Nukem name was done "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." In any case, Nielsen 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.’"