Bully Could Be Returning: New Regulatory Filings Hint at a Comeback

Bully, the critically acclaimed open-world action-adventure game from Rockstar Vancouver, might be making a comeback. Recently published regulatory filings suggest that Rockstar may be working on modernizing Bully for the latest console generations.

A Brief History of Bully

Originally released for the PlayStation 2 in 2006, Bully—known as Canis Canem Edit in Europe—quickly garnered praise for its unique gameplay and story. An enhanced version, Bully: Scholarship Edition, was later released for the Wii, Xbox 360, and PC in 2008. The game saw another revival in 2016 with the Bully: Anniversary Edition on iOS and Android devices.

New Age Ratings Hint at a Possible Remaster

Now, a new edition of the game might be on the horizon. Bully has recently received multiple new age classifications in Taiwan. As first reported by Gematsu, the Digital Game Rating Committee's (DGRC) database was updated with entries for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S versions of Bully. These updates were published in late August 2024, along with new DGRC age ratings for the Xbox 360 and PC versions of the game. Given that Bully: Scholarship Edition already received a DGRC rating in 2006, the new Xbox 360 classification might have been an error.

Connection to GTA+ and Rockstar's Remastering Trend

The appearance of these new ratings could suggest that Rockstar is working on another version of Bully. However, there might be another explanation. Rockstar recently added Bully to its GTA+ subscription service, available on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, which could have prompted the update to the game's age classifications.

Remastering older titles is not a new move for Rockstar. The company released the Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy remaster bundle in 2021 and ported Red Dead Redemption to the Switch and PlayStation 4 in 2023, shortly after the game’s 13th anniversary.

Additional Developments

These new DGRC ratings come shortly after reports surfaced that Rockstar was once working on a Bully DS port, a project allegedly shelved around 2009 as developers at Rockstar Leeds shifted focus to help complete LA Noire. In addition to the new Bully ratings, Taiwan's game classification authority has also published ratings for console editions of Nine Sols, a critically acclaimed metroidvania currently only available on PC.

While nothing has been officially confirmed, these recent developments hint that Bully might soon return, potentially bringing one of Rockstar's classic titles to a new generation of gamers.