Report: Bully 2 Still In Development at Rockstar Games Alongside GTA Series Sequel?

The reveal of a Grand Theft Auto series sequel set the world ablaze last week, igniting the fandom as the hype and anticipation for the next GTA installment takes form. But Rockstar may have even more in the works as the release for the supposed GTA 6 release sets its sights on 2025 at the earliest, and one mainstream leaker thinks Bully 2 is still on Rockstar's docket.

Tom Henderson, who has leaked a ton of valuable internal info on games, relays to a fan-made Twitter account titled Bully 2 Source that "I still standby that there's something going on with the Bully series." Though that doesn't necessarily mean there is a Bully sequel in the works, it does paint a picture of Rockstar, highlighting that the studio isn't quite finished with the duly beloved school-based franchise.

In answer to Henderson's claims, another reliable source for Rockstar denies said claims. The leaker, named Tez2, expresses that "Henderson sources must be hit or miss," then goes on to clarify how Henderson had wrongly theorized the release of last year's GTA Trilogy remaster as a 2022 debut.

Other key details from early this year likewise point to the inevitable end of Bully 2 development. Game Informer's Jan. 7 report insinuates that Bully 2 was canceled all the way back in 2010. That game would have supposedly featured a variety of interesting new schoolyard sim mechanics, like every building on the nearly three-times-as-larger map, would have been accessible.

The original Bully was first released in 2006 as a PlayStation 2 exclusive title. Like almost every Rockstar game, it was met with both ample praises by its player base and stringent pushback from parents and those in power. Unlike the GTA series, Bully didn't focus on criminality and murder but instead highlighted a boarding school student's attempts to cause as much ruckus throughout the campus as possible.

Bully no sooner became a favorite among Rockstar fans, making it alongside GTA and Red Dead Redemption among one of the studio's most prized experiences. Yet, the release or even announcement of any sequel dwindled as even the GTA series saw little to no love following the release of GTA 5 and GTA Online.

A tease for the apparent Bully canceled sequel cropped up in an update to GTA Online in 2019. The massive casino update, which saw the Diamond Casino erected adjacent to the equestrian track in Los Santos, invited a slew of new high-end apartments for sale to players. Within, one could find an art installation aptly titled "Canis Canem Edit," referring to Bully's Bullworth Academy motto.

Since then, little in the way of information has made waves, aside from various leakers getting into the ring and announcing supposed release dates. With Henderson's newest claims, maybe Rockstar is working on a Bully game alongside the GTA series sequel, though it's highly unlikely. Take-Two Interactive did, however, just purchase Zynga for a hefty $12 billion. Thus, maybe Rockstar has a mobile adaptation in the works? It's hard to tell.

Several other reports suggest that Rockstar likewise has a Red Dead Redemption remake in the works, which will supposedly attempt to amend the negatives that afflicted the GTA Trilogy remaster. Even more, rumors make the claim that Grand Theft Auto 4 is in line for a remaster, so it's generally hard to tell what is right or wrong when it comes to Rockstar rumors.

The studio's long silence and its ability to remain in the shadows has kept, for the longest time, said leaks and rumors at bay until an official release is announced. We can merely only wait for Rockstar to say something about Bully 2 before excitement reaches a fever pitch.