The Canceled Duke Nukem 3D: Reloaded Build Has Leaked Online

The Duke Nukem is a franchise that has failed to see a modern reimagining unlike IPs like the Doom series. The series touched on many risqué topics and still harbors a slew of old fans that relished its unapologetic approach to humor. The latest build leak explores a canceled first-person shooter fan project that never saw the light of day.

Duke Nukem 3D: Reloaded began as a fan project from Frederik Schreiber, but it was never released publically. Initially dubbed Duke Nukem Next-Gen, the title was supposed to be an ode to the original 1996 Duke Nukem 3D. However, a build of the well-renowned and once-anticipated game has reportedly leaked online. 

Major Takeaway

• A build of the canceled Duke Nukem 3D: Reloaded has surfaced online and can be downloaded for free alongside its development assets, source code, and editors.
• The build will allow everyone to play, explore, and tinker with everything related to the project; fans could utilize the build to reinvigorate the game.
• The leaked unfinished build deviates from the original Duke Nukem aesthetic and feels out of place in contrast to the official entries. Its gameplay snippets can be viewed further down.
• The work-in-progress build is 4.8GB in size and was created in Unreal Engine 3. 

The Duke Nukem 3D: Reloaded build features the downloadable game alongside additions like the source code, development assets, and editors. The surfaced project is 4.8GB in total size and can be downloaded by everyone interested for free. It can be installed here; we are not affiliated with the site and advise everyone to exert caution. 

A build of Duke Nukem 3D: Reloaded (r1514) has leaked, including editor, source code, and development assets.

x0r_jmp Rentry page including release links and email for content submissions: https://t.co/TWBhcDxjHf pic.twitter.com/7mfOU12FUL

— Ash (@juanlurve) December 31, 2022

The first two-minute gameplay for the leaked Duke Nukem 3D: Reloaded build can be viewed below. The videos showcase the menu and gameplay of the work-in-progress build. The second video reveals a test map along with menu items and weapons accessible in the leaked build.

Gameplay footage of Duke Nukem 3D: Reloaded (r1514) showing off weapons and inventory items in "Duke-TestMap". pic.twitter.com/EaNyj8rR4t

— Ash (@juanlurve) December 31, 2022

The visuals look fair for the project but differ vastly from the original Duke Nukem games. The title is brewed in Unreal Engine 3 which may have a role in making the project look unorthodox. 

The inclusion of the editors, assets, and source code increases the build’s worth and the ability to modify it. In other words, modders can fully dissect and alter the unfinished project. However, it remains to be seen how the community will approach and tinker with the unfinished Duke Nukem 3D: Reloaded build.

Duke Nukem 3D: Reloaded was always riddled with problems from the beginning. From licensing issues to the legal matters between Interceptor Entertainment and Gearbox Software, the game never left the development phase. Thus, the fan project was ultimately put on an indefinite hiatus. 

The IP has been barren in the last decade since the last mainline game, Duke Nukem Forever’s inception in 2011. Fans have highly awaited a new entry in the IP, but Gearbox Studios have shown no interest in such a prospect. In the meantime, the canceled build’s leak ought to sate the cravings of fans seeking some Duke Nukem experience.

This is not the only leak concerning the well-renowned Duke Nukem franchise; an unreleased Duke Nukem Forever build from 1996 was also dumped online recently. Moreover, a plethora of alluring IPs has suffered massive build and source code leaks in the last two weeks. 

For instance, the Mortal Kombat 2 source code was reportedly leaked online. Moreover, Horizon Forbidden West’s alpha build also seemingly suffered a leak, and the Doom 64 Beta ROM also recently emerged online. It remains unclear who the culprit behind the alluring leaks is, but no gamer is complaining after all.

What are your thoughts about the highly anticipated and suspended build, Duke Nukem 3D: Reloaded, surfacing online for everyone to access? Do you think the game would have been critically acclaimed if it was never canceled in the first place? Do let us know your opinions in the comments below.

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