To recap, here are the various versions of the game we know exist.
The 1996 build
While not officially considered part of the development timeline, this is the origin of the name. It was supposed to be a 2D platformer in the vein of the first 2 Duke games, but with the humour and visual style of 3D.
After it's cancelation, the engine was sold to Inner Circle Creations. Who would use it to make Alien Rampage.
While the concept of making a new 2D Duke game would eventually first happen in 1999 on the Game Boy Color, of all places. With PC getting it's own 2D platformer entitled "Manhattan Project" in 2002.
The 1998 build
This is where the infamous legend was born. After 3D Realms canned the platformer, they quickly revealed the name would be reused on a proper sequel to Duke Nukem 3D. The annoucement revealed plans to license out the Quake II engine, and provided a rather optimistic release date of "Spring, 1998".
However, in what would mark the beginning of the game's numerous development issues. 3D Realms didn't actually have the Quake II engine at the time of annoucement. So when screenshots (direct link) were provided to PC Gamer a couple months later. They were actually mockups created using the Quake I engine.
Regardless. They did manage to drop a trailer for this build by E3 1998. So everything seemed alright to the average consumer.
The 2001 build
Shortly after E3 1998, 3D Realms internally discussed throwing out the Quake II engine in exchange for the Unreal Engine. Due to it being better suited for wide-open areas like they were planning to include.
This would be publicly confirmed the very next month, with the dev team being optimistic that they could transfer the work shown at E3 "within a month to 6 weeks."...
It took three years for the next trailer to drop.
Granted, the end result looked utterly wild. With impressive features such as interactive surfaces. But internally things were falling apart, as the story goes. George Broussard was insistent that the game needed to be absolutely perfect and ahead of it's time. Leading to numerous occasions where a new title would come out with something innovative. Which the DNF staff would then have to implement in their game.
You may also notice that pecuilar "when it's done" release date, leading into.....
The 2007 build
Yes, 2007.
The gap between the two trailers is what catapulted the game into infamy. 3D Realms was still insistent it was being worked on despite the lack of info at the time. The perfectionism pretty much wrecked everything, and development was nearly shifted over to Digital Extremes in 2004, as a desperate attempt to get it finished in some form.
But the release of that trailer seemed to suggest that it was finally going to get off the ground. Which it did. Just with a few more problems thrown into the fray.
3D Realms eventually ran out of money. Effectively killing the project for several months. But Gearbox Software ended up buying the Duke IP and finished the game in 2011, Nearly fifteen years after it's original annoucement.
There's various hints in the final build that make it clear very little was changed in the gap between 2007 to 2011, the obvious jokes about it's lengthy development peg it's length as "12 years", and the pop culture references are generally stuck in 2008.
There was also a leaked "world chart" from that timeframe. Which shows the plot as mostly identical to the final game.
So with all of that out of the way, what exactly does this 2001 build entail?
In short, it's clear that a lot of the work shown in the E3 build was heavily scripted. There are certainly plenty of maps modeled out, but a good chunk lack content.
The build also includes a fully working copy of the game's internal map editor, as well as a bunch of source code.
In fact, this matches up with descriptions of the build given in recent years. Such as this interview with Randy Pitchford.
This also leads me into what is probably the biggest thing here aside from the fact it's out there now, which is the source of the leak. Though be warned this is mainly speculation on my part.
The "modern" 3D Realms actually has a massive library of protos and various other early things that they've tried to re-release when they're legally able to. Such as a collection of Shadow Warrior builds, or an early version of Major Stryker.
Naturally, there's gaps thanks to said legal issues. Aside from the DNF situation. They're also brought up owning builds of the late 90s version of Prey and Max Payne.
Obviously, Gearbox owns the Duke Nukem IP. But they're now under the same parent company as 3D Realms, the Embracer Group, who seems to have no issue with their studios publicly sharing development material.
Which leads me to 2 other possible obstacles.
- Take-Two Interactive, which has long-term publishing rights to DNF as a result of the originally planned publisher, Gathering of Developers, shutting down in 2004.
- Epic Games, who could have issues relating to the build's usage of Unreal Engine, namely the fact it includes source code.
Which means Take Two is the most likely culprit, and whoever leaked it decided to get it out there now rather than waiting for the publishing rights (Can't seem to find an exact date, but i suspect it's 15-20 years.) to expire.
I'm not sure if the anonymous leaker has plans to drop the other protos that have legal issues, but it would be a huge deal if they did.
As another interesting side-note, the release of this build has also managed to revive the internal arguments that happened about the game's development. You might have noticed the source (Scott Miller) bringing up Digital Extreme's failed involvement was posted in response to the leak, and goes into detail on the damage the project had taken.
George Broussard responded to said post, claiming that Scott is "a clueless narcissist whose actions are what led to the Gearbox suits/friction that led to us losing 3DR & the Duke IP."
So evidently not much has changed over the past 25 years.
