Max Payne 3In signs that will worry fans, Max Payne’s next adventure is fast becoming another Duke Nukem Forever.

The much-delayed game has apparently fallen victim to yet more problems, as Take-Two’s recently announced release schedule for the 2011-2012 year didn’t even feature the title.

Max Payne 3 was originally scheduled for release in late 2009, and is set to feature a title character unlike we’ve ever seen before (so hopefully less of the ‘smell the fart’ fixed face then), as Payne has “drifted from bad to worse” and found himself wrapped up in some dodgy dealings in Sao Paolo.

When quizzed on the omission by Kotaku, Take-Two replied, “We’re still working hard on Max, and we’ll have more news in the coming months.”

That said, it’s not like the studio isn’t lacking in stunning titles on the horizon, with Rockstar’s L.A. Noire tipped for Spring 2011, Bioshock Infinite for the ‘Calendar Year 2012’, and – cough – Duke Nuken Forever tentatively scheduled for ‘Calendar Year 2011’.