Even though considered dead after a joke that lasted over 15 years, Duke Nukem still remains in the media spotlight and he won’t be laid to rest easily, basically because both Take Two and 3D Realms still wish to make some money with the Duke.

One of the games rumored and now confirmed to have been in development, alongside Duke Nukem Forever, was (or is?) Duke Begins, a title that was meant to show as the origins of the brave one liner hero. The game was going to be created by Gearbox, the studio that’s already at work with Borderlands for Take Two and Aliens: Colonial Marines for Sega.

“Under the 2007 Agreement, any modification to the development schedule for the Duke Begins game, following Final Concept Approval (as defined in the 2007 Agreement), is permitted without Apogee’s consent provided that both 2K Games and Gearbox (as defined in the 2007 Agreement) consent to the change,” reads a Take Two suit filling, according to GameSpot.

However, Take Two did admit that, for the moment at least, the development of Duke Begins has been shelved, especially because it’s Apogee (3D Realms) who hold the rights for the Duke Nukem IP and T2 can’t do anything without their consent. Consent which, of course, 3DR is not willing to offer from obvious reasons.

Ain’t this whole Duke Nukem thing turning into a really cheap soap opera?