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Duke Nukem Forever 2001 build found & leaked

The E3 2001 version of the troubled game found its way online and franchise creator George Broussard has suggested the leak is real.

TJ Denzer

May 9, 2022 7:40 AM

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Duke Nukem Forever is one of the longest drawn-out tragedies in the history of the FPS genre. Long development and a number of other factors turned a pretty good-looking shooter shown at E3 2001 into a butchered mess by the time it released in 2011. There’s plenty to talk about in regards to what happened. However, hardcore fans of Duke Nukem have wondered more what happened to the build that was shown in 2001. Now it has appeared online and it has been suggested that the leak is real.

The leak of the supposed Duke Nukem Forever 2001 build was shared via 4chan by a user known as ‘x0r,’ as reported by Duke4.net. X0r claimed that the version they uploaded was legitimately the build that was shown at its initial E3 appearance. They also stated that they wanted to release the source code and an editor for actual play in June. Whether that’s possible or not remains to be seen, but as to it’s legitimacy, soon after the leak, Duke Nukem franchise creator George Broussard confirmed on Twitter the leak looked like the real deal, though he also claimed the version was extremely limited in scope.

“You should heavily temper expectations,” Broussard wrote. “There is no real game to play. Just a smattering of barely populated test levels.”

The leaker also confirmed that Broussard’s statements were true, but they also claimed there was still a lot to look through and enjoy.

“Almost every chapter is present in some form,” x0r wrote. “A huge chunk is playable, a huge chunk is block-outs with no enemies.”

This makes sense given the fact Duke Nukem Forever was in development for a decade longer after its 2001 announcement. Even so, it seems like x0r is set on giving the build to the internet after some tinkering. For many hardcore FPS fans, the lost Duke Nukem Forever 2001 build is a huge find. Hopefully we’ll get to see more of it soon.

TJ Denzer

Senior News Editor

TJ Denzer is a player and writer with a passion for games that has dominated a lifetime. He found his way to the Shacknews roster in late 2019 and has worked his way to Senior News Editor since. Between news coverage, he also aides notably in livestream projects like the indie game-focused Indie-licious, the Shacknews Stimulus Games, and the Shacknews Dump. You can reach him at tj.denzer@shacknews.com and also find him on Twitter @JohnnyChugs.