What Happened to Bully (video game)?

Bully, an action-adventure game from Rockstar Games, first launched on October 17, 2006, for the PlayStation 2. Set in the fictional Bullworth Academy, the game follows delinquent Jimmy Hopkins as he navigates the school's social hierarchy, attending classes, and dealing with various cliques. The game was praised for its unique setting, narrative, characters, and soundtrack, selling over 1.5 million copies by March 2008.

Upon its announcement and release, Bully faced significant controversy. Critics, including parents and educators, raised concerns about its title and perceived glorification of school bullying, especially given Rockstar's history with mature content in games like Grand Theft Auto. In some PAL regions, the game was released as 'Canis Canem Edit' (Latin for 'dog eat dog') to mitigate these concerns. The game was even banned in Brazil in April 2008, a ban that was only lifted in June 2016. Despite the uproar, Rockstar maintained that the game was an anti-bullying statement, with environment artist Andrew Wood noting in 2025 that the studio "laughed at all the controversy" as it helped sell games.

Due to its popularity, Rockstar released an enhanced version, Bully: Scholarship Edition, on March 4, 2008, for Wii and Xbox 360, and on October 21, 2008, for Windows. This edition included new missions, classes, characters, and a two-player competitive multiplayer mode. The game continued its expansion with a PlayStation 4 re-release on March 22, 2016, and the Bully: Anniversary Edition for Android and iOS on December 8, 2016, which further optimized the game for mobile platforms with improved visuals and touch controls.

The prospect of a sequel, Bully 2, has been a long-standing topic of discussion among fans. While rumors and leaks suggested development at various points, including a period between 2010 and 2013, the project was ultimately discontinued. In September 2025, Rockstar Games co-founder Dan Houser definitively addressed the absence of a sequel, attributing its cancellation to "bandwidth issues," stating that the studio's small lead creative team had to prioritize other major projects like Grand Theft Auto 4, Red Dead Redemption, and Max Payne 3.

As of March 2026, Bully 2 is not in active production, with Rockstar Games heavily focused on the upcoming release of Grand Theft Auto 6 in November 2026. However, Rockstar has not entirely abandoned the IP. The Bully: Anniversary Edition received general bug fixes and improvements in January 2026, and the Bully: Scholarship Edition on Steam continues to see positive reviews and sales, with a new development branch added in late 2024, possibly indicating further stability updates. The game was also added to the GTA+ subscription service in August 2024/May 2025, and new Bully-themed merchandise was released in December 2025, demonstrating Rockstar's continued acknowledgment of the game's cult status.