Developer of new Rise of the Triad version takes over 3D Realms

Interceptor Entertainment, the developer behind the 2013 Rise of the Triad reboot, has acquired publisher and developer 3D Realms. 3D Realms, also known as Apogee Software, owns the rights to the old Duke Nukem games and Shadow Warrior.

Frederik Schreiber, director of the Danish Interceptor Entertainment, made it news known on Twitter. The two studios are involved in a lawsuit with Gearbox Software over the RPG Duke Nukem: Mass Destruction. According to Gearbox, that’s a new title in the Duke franchise, and Gearbox is the one who owns the rights to it. Gearbox is therefore no longer facing two parties, but one. Schreiber will hold a press conference on the acquisition on Monday. Speaking to the Danish newspaper Børsen, Mike Nielsen, the new director of 3D Realms, said that he “wants to preserve and strengthen the legend of 3D Realms.”

There is a difference between Apogee annex 3D Realms and Apogee LLC, which causes some confusion regarding the acquisition. In 2008, the rights to many of Apogee’s titles, but not those of Duke Nukem, among others, were bought by a colleague of the founders of 3D Realms, Terry Nagy. Nagy founded Apogee Software, LLC and under this name mainly releases old titles from 3D Realms for modern digital distribution platforms such as Steam. In addition, Apogee LLC is the publisher and rightsholder of the 2013 Rise of the Triad reboot. Apogee Software, LLC was not acquired by Interceptor Entertainment and still owns all of its rights.

Apogee, or 3D Realms, continued to exist alongside the new company. After the sale of the rights, 3D Realms continued under the official company name Apogee Software, Ltd. A year later, in 2009, Apogee Ltd. to bankruptcy. Gearbox Software bought the rights to the Duke franchise from Apogee Ltd. and the company was able to survive. The only rights that Apogee Ltd. themselves included those on Shadow Warrior and the pre-Duke Nukem Forever Duke Nukem games. Only those rights have now come into the hands of Interceptor Entertainment. Polygon has put an extensive story about the history of 3D Realms and Apogee online.