Despite the vocal support for a sequel to Rockstar Games' memorable school-based action-adventure titleBully,Bully 2is still nowhere to be seen. Many years and several console generations later, the developer may have missed the window for a follow-up to the first game. Regardless of the fact that over a decade and a half has passed since the release ofBully, many players are still hoping for concrete news ofBully 2at some point. Gamers may think their luck is about to change given some recent rumors, but official confirmation thatBully 2is in development still looks like a long shot.
The video game industry is rife with rumors and speculation, which is no surprise given the typical length of time it takes to develop a game and the ways details can leak out before it’s released. Players should always take these reveals with a pinch of salt, as they can turn out to be nothing but misinformation. However, on occasion the rumors can turn out to be true, further stoking the flames of fan excitement when anything does come to light. Even though there have beenrumors surroundingBully 2for almost two decades, this isn’t necessarily an indication that players can expect to see it anytime soon.
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The Recent Bully 2 Rumors
Rockstar has had its hands full over the past few years with major releases likeGrand Theft Auto 5andRed Dead Redemption 2. Not only were these massive games in terms of their audiences and the prestige of their respective series, but they were also huge titles with regard to their scope.Grand Theft Auto 5in particular has had an incredibly fruitful post-launch life, and withthe highly anticipatedGrand Theft Auto 6on the way as well it’s no surprise smaller IPs likeBullyhave taken a back seat over the past decade. However, this doesn’t mean that fans have forgotten about it.
Recent rumors, allegedly from an industry insider, have suggested thatBully 2could come sometime afterGrand Theft Auto 6’s release. This makes sense, as Rockstar may want to offer something a little different from its larger franchises in between entries, andBully 2could be the perfect antidoteto the ambitious and establishedGrand Theft AutoandRed Deadseries. Some fans have complained in the past that the sheer scale of Rockstar’s games can mean there are substantial gaps in between releases, and a smaller title likeBullycould effectively plug this space and avoid player impatience.
Bully 2’s History Of Speculation
This isn’t the first time thatinterest inBully 2has flared up, and it certainly won’t be the last. Ever since the unexpected success of the original game, fans have been awaiting confirmation that a sequel was in development, and leaked details and rumors over the years have helped to keep this expectation alive. From comments linked to previous Rockstar employees to hints from the composer who scored the first game,Bully 2has been alluded to again and again, even if the actual game has failed to materialize.
Rockstar co-founder Dan Houser added fuel to the flames of player excitement when he said in 2011 thatBullywas a beloved franchise within the studio that Rockstar might come back to in the future. With a remastered version released in 2008 and a re-release for PlayStation 4 in 2016, it was clear thatBullywas still on Rockstar’s mind, and with the developer’s recent move towards remakes, it made sense that it would look to revisit older IPs. Concept art for therumoredBullysequelalso made the internet rounds back in 2017, although Rockstar didn’t comment on the leak at the time.
Nods toBullyinRed Dead Redemption 2andGTA Online Casinowere seen by some fans as moreevidence that aBully 2announcement could be on the horizon, but this could have just been Rockstar adding Easter Eggs for players to enjoy. Despite the apparent mounting evidence forBully 2, the developer has been quiet about the game for several years now, seemingly dampening any player hopes that a sequel was forthcoming.
RELATED:Explaining the Latest Bully 2 Rumors
Why An Upcoming Bully 2 Launch Is Unlikely
Just because nothing has been confirmed yet, it doesn’t mean it never will. Stranger things have happened in the game industry than an unexpected game announcement. However, there are a few reasons why fans shouldn’t get their hopes up just yet. It was confirmed that Rockstar had been working onBully 2at some point, thanks to the success of the first game.Game Informer spoke to a number of former Rockstar New England devswho claimed that several hours ofBully 2had been playable when the game was previously in development, but it was later canceled.
Some fans were disappointed to learn thatBully 2came close to being a thingat some point, but ultimately the studio decided that it wasn’t going to move forward with the title. This could have been for several reasons, and things have obviously changed since then – the landscape of the gaming industry, the makeup of the studio, and available technology to name a few. But if a project has been tried and tested in the past, and it didn’t work out, this could make it a little less likely for the studio to want to go down the same road again. Rockstar also has plenty to keep it busy in the coming years, and the harsh truth is there simply might not be room for anotherBullygame in its schedule.
There are also various controversies surrounding the first title, asBullysuffered the same fate as many video games that are assumed to promote mindless violence.Rockstar is no stranger to this type of controversy, but the world of video games is very different now from how it was back in 2006 whenBullywas first released, and despite the popularity of the original game, some might question the wisdom of releasing a title with a similar premise in today’s market. Rockstar might look instead at creating original IPs over resurrecting old ones, but despite the unlikeliness of an upcomingBully 2announcement, there will still be some fans who continue to hold out for one.
Bullyis available now on Mobile, PC, PS2, Wii, and Xbox 360.
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