In a surprising new development in the tale of Duke Nukem, Danish indie studio Interceptor Entertainment has reportedly purchased Texas-based Apogee Software Ltd, the legal name of Duke Nukem creator 3D Realms.

Formal announcement of the acquisition appears to have been pre-empted when Danish investor Mike Nielson was noted as Apogee Software's new CEO in a report in Danish publication Børsen, followed by a Twitter update by Interceptor CEO Frederik Schreiber confirming "Yes, we have indeed acquired Apogee/3D Realms. We will be giving an official statement tomorrow.@InterceptorEnt , @RiseoftheTriad" (thanks Game Informer).

It's uncertain exactly what Interceptor would actually be getting from the acquisition, as 3D Realms laid off its entire staff when Duke Nukem Forever was transferred over to Gearbox, and it is understood that the rights to Apogee's notable franchises such as Commander Keen, Rise of the Triad and Shadow Warrior are owned by one Apogee Software LLC, which according to Polygon is a separate entity to Apogee Software Ltd. Polygon explains that one Terry Nagy purchased the rights to the Apogee name and the various IP rights in 2008 and was responsible for licensing the recent Rise of the Triad and Shadow Warrior remakes.

Further, Gearbox Software is asserting its own perceived ownership of the Duke Nukem franchise with a lawsuit against 3D Realms and Interteceptor, preempting what was presumed to be a new Duke Nukem title that the Danish studio had been gearing up to announce.

What a mess eh? Perhaps Interceptor's statement tomorrow will help clear some things up.