If any combination of words has deserved the scorn and derision of gamers over the years it would be the magical mix of ‘Duke Nukem Forever’ and ‘release date.’ However, MyGaming must endeavour to report on the known facts.

DNF has had a tumultuous development cycle spanning 12 years, numerous 3D engines, and legal disputes. Gamers thought the final nail in the coffin was the 2009 financial trouble of 3D Realms, which saw the DNF developers losing their jobs, and a legal disputes with Take Two Interactive over the ownership of the Duke Nukem IP.

However, true to his never-say-die attitude, Duke made a comeback. It was announced at the 2010 Penny Arcade Expo that Gearbox Software is now at the helm of the nearly completed project and they have promised a playable demo before release.

American retailers Amazon and GameStop have begun listing the title as available for pre-order, for release on 1 February.

Just before Duke fans get their frequently dashed hopes up, Gearbox has responded to the listings by saying that any date supplied by retailers is a ‘placeholder’ only. So really, we’ve learnt nothing except that February might be the month we finally get to bring the DNF saga to an end. Personally, I think 1 April 2011 is a more fitting launch date.

Discuss the DNF ‘placeholder’ release date on the MyGaming forum.