The continued roll of rumors and fan speculation hinting at an upcoming sequel for Rockstar Games’ Bully continues to grow the older the games get, and while we still have yet to see a follow-up game for nearly 13 years since the original title’s release, there was a second installment in development at one point.
According to a source that spoke with Video Game Chronicles, an official ‘Bully 2’ of the sorts was being under development back in 2010. This Rockstar insider shared that Rockstar New England, the team who worked on Bully: Scholarship Edition, have worked on the unannounced project before the entirety of the game’s development crumbled by the 18th month mark.
Sometime between the release of Red Dead Redemption in 2010 and the time leading up to the release of Grand Theft Auto V later in 2013 was said to be a set timeframe the game was in active development. However, the source reveals that the project eventually “fizzled out” as the U.K.-based team did move on to other projects. Rockstar New England’s Principal Artist Drew Madina and Rockstar New York’s Steven Olds were planned to be involved with the title, but never initiated to join for the game’s development.
Regarding the context of the sequel’s plot, the source did say that progress leading towards the game’s conclusion was never expanded upon and left a stray for where the game would ultimately end. Another source who spoke with the gaming website did share that Jimmy Hopkins would return as the sequel’s protagonist, but this time would kick off with him at his father’s at the end of the Summer. However, where Jimmy was initially set to experience the follow-up game was not written towards revealing if he would head back to high school or university.
The source did clarify that Rockstar co-founder and writer for Bully Dan Houser alongside the studio’s team did hand in a script for the project with information of the game’s earlier moments drafted out. Despite the early living of the game and its story, a playable build of this project was said to at one point be available before canning the project.
“It existed, it was playable, it was just a shame it never got off the ground,” they share with Video Game Chronicles.
In the midst of this new splurge of Bully news, the outlet did contact Rockstar Games on the claims, but has not received a response to confirm or deny the claims. While the initial development ceases to be, there is the chance of the IP finally returning to reality with an new upcoming sequel. Dating back almost a year now, users have discovered a curtain call which references young adult actors and strong language at a motion capture studio that Rockstar Games has used for prior work.
The studio is also based in the United Kingdom, which is the same region as Rockstar New England as well: the source speaking with Video Game Chronicles did not confirm any development on younger rumours for Bully.
Would you play a second Bully title if a sequel ever releases?
Source: Video Game Chronicles
