Hail to the King baby! Duke Nukem Forever is finally seeing a release date, May 3, in North America and May 6 worldwide. Developer Gearbox Software, in conjunction with Triptych Games, previously announced at last year’s Penny Arcade Expo that they will finish development on the game.
“When I said goodbye to 3D Realms and the original Duke Nukem 3D team in 1997 and soon after founded Gearbox Software, I never in my wildest dreams imagined that a day like today would come,” said Randy Pitchford, president of Gearbox Software. “Today I am proud, humbled and even astounded to announce that the day is coming at last for all gamers to be a part of video game history: Duke Nukem Forever will launch worldwide this May!”
Previously, Duke Nukem Forever suffered years of development hell. It was first announced by 3D Realms in 1997 and has undergone several engine changes and ended up being delayed. The game was supposed to never see the light of day, considering 3DR suffered legal troubles with 2K and massive layoffs. Yet, development continued at a small studio, Triptych, formed by DNF veterans and after the legal issues were settled, Gearbox Software was picked to carry the game towards completion.
Early access to the Duke Nukem Forever demo is promised to those who purchased the Borderlands Game of the Year Edition, though those who bought the original version on Steam before October 12, 2010 will also receive access to the ‘Duke Nukem Forever First Access Club.’
Duke Nukem Forever releases on PC, Xbox 360, and Playstation 3.
