Bully 2is a game that has long been debated and rumored among the wider gaming community. Given the positive critical reception and sustained cult following that the originalBullyhas fostered over the years, discourse surrounding a potential sequel is not surprising at all.
While a lot of the buzz surrounding aBully 2release has been fan-generated, there has been actual merit to the game being seriously considered for development by Rockstar. Sadly, however, with the ever-shifting nature of the industry, the chances ofBully 2releasing seem slimmer now more than they have ever been.
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The History of Bully 2 Rumors
The originalBullyreleased in 2006, and proved to be a very popular release for Rockstar despite having to compete against the iconicGrand Theft AutoandRed Dead Redemptionfranchises. Retaining the same third-person perspective of other Rockstar IPs,Bullytook theGTAformula and applied it to a boarding school, while of course scaling the violence down to be more appropriate for a 15-year-old protagonist.
Despite facing a large amount of backlash for its setting, the humorous nature of the title and its satisfying beat em' up gameplay greatly appealed to fans, with desire for a sequel instantly permeating the game’s discourse. Rumors and supposed leaks surroundingBully 2began as soon as 2009, withRockstar co-creator Dan Houser stating his desire forBully 2in 2013.
Rumors of aBully 2releasehave consistently spread throughout the community ever since, with hopeful fans having their expectations raised for well over a decade at this point. Despite alleged screenshots of the game and casting calls for its voice acting keeping theBully 2discourse alive for so long over the years, it sadly seems that the game will never see the light of day.
Why Bully 2 Is Unlikely To Release
The apparent current priorities of Rockstar point to a bleak future when it comes to the release of the long requestedBully 2. Although a fan base for the game clearly still exists, there are other ventures that Rockstar is actively involved in that are simply too popular and lucrative.
With just how intensely successfulGrand Theft Auto 5has been since its initial release in 2013, the feasibility of Rockstar dedicating the huge amount of time and resources necessary into a sequel for one of its comparatively lesser known titles seems small. To conceptualize just how successfulGTA 5has truly been for the company, fans only need to consider therecent standalone release ofGrand Theft Auto Online, with the online service reportedly earning Rockstar over $800 million per year.
To compound how slim the chances of aBully 2are, thecontroversial recent release ofGrand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Editionvery well may have knocked the confidence ofRockstarin revisiting older titles and straying away from the norm. If an established system within a company is comprehensively lucrative enough, outside projects can often fall to the wayside, as has been observed in recent years with the veteran gaming giant Valve.
Considering thathype and discourse surroundingGrand Theft Auto 6is reaching a fever pitch, it is extremely difficult to see whereBully 2could fit within Rockstar’s schedule. With Rockstar’s recent precedent of only releasing one game per console generation, it sadly appears that a release ofBully 2has missed the boat despite the sustained desire of the community and the many leaks and rumors that have fueled it over the years.
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