GTA and RDR developer Rockstar Games has another highly popular game franchise that many younger fans may not remember: Bully. The title’s port to iOS and Android, Bully: Anniversary Edition, was released in 2016, and it surprisingly received an update almost a decade later on March 25, 2025. Now, this could be one of the first steps in Rockstar’s plans to add the game to its GTA+ catalog, or it could be something entirely different. What it does show, however, is that the developer hasn’t forgotten about it.
Bully is one of Rockstar Games’ best titles, and fans have made many demands for a sequel ever since its original launch on the PlayStation 2 in 2006. There has been no news on that front, and it has been clear for the past couple of years that the developer is focused on GTA 6. If planned, Bully 2 is still probably quite a few years away. Another aspect that’s quite clear is that if it does happen, Rockstar may need to move away from the first entry’s outdated, absurdist themes and mechanics; focusing on grounded, dramatic stories may be the best way forward.
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Bully 2’s Success May Depend On Creating Its Own Identity
Considering the skyhigh hype that GTA 6 has built up, and the fact that GTA Online is still going plenty strong, Bully 2 may have to carve out its own niche to not get swept under the rug. Rockstar could do so by focusing on crafting a strong story and themes. Moving away from the first game’s absurdist, over-the-top elements may be key, especially if GTA 6 proves to be wilder than any other series installment. As such, setting Bully 2 somewhere along the lines of Red Dead Redemption could be the saving grace and major selling point, where the focus is on grounded, intense storytelling and detailed mechanics.
How Bully 2’s Potential Narrative Depth Could Rival Rockstar’s Most Iconic Franchises
The current cultural climate is deeply influenced by social media and peer pressure — where both run each other up in a constant, ever-tensing spiral. Bully 2 could reflect on these elements by sending the protagonist to a new school, one where issues are rife and trust needs to be earned. The game could explore the teen angst that is well-portrayed through shows like Euphoria and Sex Education; the protagonist trying to live up to their hopes and dreams for the future, an identity crisis, and even the courageous but stressful commitment of wanting to stand on their own feet are all great ingredients for a Rockstar game.
Bully 2 could have elements of other evolved story-driven games, with a player’s decision influencing the path taken, the friends they make, and the people they alienate. The personal journey that they make throughout the campaign would only add to the storytelling. The presence of strong themes of perseverance and friendships being the saving grace could be game-changers here. Rockstar has shown through its work — Red Dead Redemption, Max Payne, and even Bully itself, for example — that it can handle such themes. A diverse cast that brings in varied backgrounds, takes on the surrounding problems, and even relationships, could make the portrayal of teen angst that much more real and impactful.
An Expanded Setting Can Help Bully 2 Explore Richer Mechanics and Mature Narratives
Rockstar has already explored a school scenario in Bully, quite vividly if not perfectly. Given that fact, it’s possible that the developer may choose to go ahead to a university setting. Doing so would not only help it address mature narratives and retain that wacky, adult tone, but also inculcate elements that may be too much for a high school scenario.
For example, social media is believed to be a big aspect of GTA 6. If Rockstar Games does make Bully 2, it would make sense to bring back social media as a gameplay mechanic, encouraging players use the internet to engage with their peers. This would also add more weight and dynamics, helping make the worldbulding feel real.
Such a setting and mechanics would also help better explore adolescent issues related to personal identity, relationships with the people around them, drug issues, and even the courage to be true to themselves in an increasingly judgmental world. These would help strengthen Bully 2‘s core of being a story-driven, grounded game like Red Dead Redemption, rather than an absurdist, over-the-top adventure like GTA. The challenge would be to incorporate such real, mature themes while still building a game that’s fun. Rockstar has proven to be a dab hand at intense projects, and may very well pull a stellar win out of the hat again.
- Released
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October 17, 2006
- ESRB
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T For Teen due to Crude Humor, Language, Sexual Themes, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco, Violence
- Developer(s)
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Rockstar Vancouver
