This shocking news was reveal in response to last month’s Take-Two court filing against Duke Nukem Foreverdeveloper Apogee Software, which attempted to recoup loans the publisher had distributed to Apogee. Apogee’s attorneys responded Friday with a shocking revelation that in exchange for Take-Two support, Apogee gave Take-Two the rights to simultaneously develop another Duke Nukem game. Take-Two tasked 2K Games with said development under the working title Duke Begins.

Apogee’s defense states that 2K “halted or otherwise canceled all development work by the third-party game developer on the Duke Begins game in April 2009,” an action Apogee sees as Take-Two’s attempt at, “pressuring Apogee to sell the Duke Nukem franchise rights to Take-Two for less than their true value.” This probably won’t be the end of the battle, Take-Two will probably response to this statement, revealing another twist in the plot.

[Via Joystiq]