Rise of the Triad developers Interceptor Entertainment have bought 3D Realms

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Somebody has bet on Duke, which, 18 years after the last good Duke Nukem shooter, is something of a surprise. Interceptor Entertainment, developers of the Rise of the Triad remake, have bought 3D Realms, developers of... well, bits of Duke Nukem Forever. The two are rumoured to be collaborating on an upcoming action RPG, called Duke Nukem: Mass Destruction . They're also co-defendants in a lawsuit over unlicensed use of the Duke Nukem IP . Both have got plenty in common then, which makes for a solid foundation in their future relationship.

It's important to note that, by Apogee, Schreiber's referring to Apogee Software, Ltd, which is the legal name of 3D Realms. Interceptor haven't bought Apogee Software, LLC , an external publisher that holds the licenses to the old Apogee library.

It'll be interesting to see what the revived 3D Realms are going to be working on. The studio's new CEO, Mike Nielson, talks about a history that includes Duke Nukem, Commander Keen and Shadow Warrior, but - in the complicated world of game rights ownership - much of 3D Realm's catalogue now belongs to others. That's a legal argument that could potentially flare up further with regards to Gearbox's lawsuit over Duke Nukem: Mass Destruction.

Interceptor are due to release an official statement on their purchase later today. We'll update this post when that happens.

UPDATE: A press release confirms that SDN Invest, the part owner of Interceptor Entertainment, have acquired Apogee Software, Ltd d/b/a 3D Realms. There is still no information as to what either developer is working on.

Phil Savage
Phil Savage
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Phil has been writing for PC Gamer for nearly a decade, starting out as a freelance writer covering everything from free games to MMOs. He eventually joined full-time as a news writer, before moving to the magazine to review immersive sims, RPGs and Hitman games. Now he leads PC Gamer's UK team, but still sometimes finds the time to write about his ongoing obsessions with Destiny 2, GTA Online and Apex Legends. When he's not levelling up battle passes, he's checking out the latest tactics game or dipping back into Guild Wars 2. He's largely responsible for the whole Tub Geralt thing, but still isn't sorry.