Editing Duke Nukem Forever (section)

== Legacy ==
''[[The Escapist (magazine)|The Escapist]]'' included ''Duke Nukem Forever'' in its 2016 list of the worst games ever, calling it "an example of what happens when the hype is far greater than the quality of the game".<ref>{{Cite web |date=2016-05-19 |title=8 of the Worst Games of All Time |url=https://www.escapistmagazine.com/8-of-the-worst-games-of-all-time/ |access-date=2022-05-10 |website=The Escapist |language=en-US |archive-date=May 21, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220521094005/https://www.escapistmagazine.com/8-of-the-worst-games-of-all-time/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2021, ''[[Destructoid]]'' wrote that reactions had "ranged from negative to 'I guess it could have been worse,'" and that much of the failure was down to its imitation of the first-person shooter games and that it lacked "self-awareness".<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-05-10 |title=Duke Nukem Forever proves the worst part of Duke Nukem is Duke Nukem |url=https://www.destructoid.com/duke-nukem-forever-proves-the-worst-part-of-duke-nukem/ |access-date=2022-05-10 |website=Destructoid |language=en-CA |archive-date=May 10, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220510064405/https://www.destructoid.com/duke-nukem-forever-proves-the-worst-part-of-duke-nukem/ |url-status=live }}</ref> ''[[Screen Rant]]'' attributed the negative reaction to the long development, and that the series' humor had become less acceptable.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-09-29 |title=Why Duke Nukem Didn't Reboot Successfully |url=https://screenrant.com/duke-nukem-forever-reboot-problems-bad-remake-series/ |access-date=2022-05-10 |website=ScreenRant |language=en-US |archive-date=May 10, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220510064404/https://screenrant.com/duke-nukem-forever-reboot-problems-bad-remake-series/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Leaks ===
On May 9, 2022, an unfinished version of ''Duke Nukem Forever'' from 2001, including the level editor and the full source code, leaked online.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Zak |first=Robert |date=2022-05-09 |title=The leaked 2001 build of Duke Nukem Forever is actually real |language=en |work=PC Gamer |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/the-leaked-2001-build-of-duke-nukem-forever-is-actually-real/ |access-date=2022-05-10 |archive-date=May 10, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220510064405/https://www.pcgamer.com/the-leaked-2001-build-of-duke-nukem-forever-is-actually-real/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Broussard confirmed its authenticity on [[Twitter]], stating that he did not know who had leaked it and that "there is no real game to play".<ref>{{Cite tweet |last=Broussard |first=George |title=Yes, the leak looks real. No, I'm not really interested in talking about it or retreading a painful past. You should heavily temper expectations. There is no real game to play. Just a smattering of barely populated test levels. I have no knowledge who leaked this.|user=georgebsocial|number=1523602422437842944 |access-date=July 17, 2022|date=May 9, 2022}}</ref> Miller, in a post on the [[Apogee Entertainment|Apogee]] website, wrote that "anyone expecting much of a playable game will be disappointed".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Miller |first=Scott |date=2022-05-10 |title=The Truth About Duke Nukem Forever |url=https://www.apogeeent.com/devblog/dnf-truth |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220511053544/https://www.apogeeent.com/devblog/dnf-truth |archive-date=2022-05-11 |access-date=2022-05-11 |website=Apogee Entertainment |language=en-US}}</ref> The leak includes a version of ''Duke Nukem 3D''{{'s}} first level that ends with a sequence taken from the television series ''[[Twin Peaks]]''.<ref name="Machkovech-2022" />

Covering the leak for ''[[Ars Technica]]'', Sam Machkovech found that the gunfights were "surprisingly solid", with "punchy sound design and powerful weapons", and resembled the ''[[Soldier of Fortune (video game)|Soldier of Fortune]]'' series. He wrote that the large environments, such as casinos, were built to a realistic scale and "play out like a confused team coming to grips with brand-new engine technology, simply building out larger-than-usual levels without yet getting to the crucial stages of balancing".<ref name="Machkovech-2022">{{Cite web |last=Machkovech |first=Sam |date=2022-05-12 |title=We have played the lost Duke Nukem Forever build from 2001 |url=https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2022/05/we-have-played-the-lost-duke-nukem-forever-build-from-2001/ |access-date=June 19, 2022 |website=Ars Technica |language=en-us |archive-date=June 10, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220610171459/https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2022/05/we-have-played-the-lost-duke-nukem-forever-build-from-2001/ |url-status=live }}</ref> 

A fan [[Mod (gaming)|mod]], the ''Duke Nukem Forever Restoration Project'', aims to update the leak to a more complete state.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Heaton |first=Andrew |date=2022-09-01 |title=First Trailers For Duke Nukem Forever 2001 Restoration Project Drop |url=https://gamerant.com/duke-nukem-forever-2001-restoration-project-trailer/ |access-date=2023-08-25 |website=Game Rant |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Patrick Perrault |date=June 6, 2022 |title=Duke Nukem Forever 2001 Restoration Mod Project Announced |url=https://techraptor.net/gaming/news/duke-nukem-forever-2001-restoration-mod-project-announced |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220625013822/https://techraptor.net/gaming/news/duke-nukem-forever-2001-restoration-mod-project-announced |archive-date=June 25, 2022 |accessdate=June 20, 2022 |work=TechRaptor}}</ref> The first was released in December 2022.<ref>{{cite web |author=Andrew Heaton |date=December 22, 2022 |title=Duke Nukem Forever 2001 Fan Restoration Project Is Out Now |url=https://gamerant.com/duke-nukem-forever-2001-restoration-project-release/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230102192429/https://gamerant.com/duke-nukem-forever-2001-restoration-project-release/ |archive-date=January 2, 2023 |accessdate=August 25, 2023 |work=[[Game Rant]]}}</ref> A version of the canceled 2D version of ''Duke Nukem Forever'' from 1996 leaked that month.<ref name="atdec27" />