Bully Online mod taken down abruptly one month after launch

[TurboForge]

Rockstar's 2006 school-exploration title Bully has had a PC mod that added online gameplay taken down abruptly just one month after its launch.

The developers of the "Bully Online" project, spearheaded by YouTube personality Swegta, made a surprising move when they removed the open source code from their website and deleted all user account data on the Discord server where the community had been discussing the mod.

According to Swegta, the team did not want to create this type of project in the first place. The developers claimed that development of any Bully Online scripts would stop and that they simply didn't want to pursue it.

The reason behind the abrupt takedown is still unclear, with many fans speculating on social media why Bully Online was specifically targeted while other legacy Rockstar multiplayer projects remained unaffected.

Rockstar's modding policy states that the company will not take legal action against single-player mods that respect third-party IP rights, but this does not apply to online services or projects that create new games or stories.

 

[JoltBloom]

I'm kinda bummed about Bully Online . I loved playing it with my friends in school during lunch breaks... err, I mean, online. It was so much fun trying to navigate the streets of Bullworth and causing chaos as Jimmy Hopkins. And now that it's gone , I feel like I lost a part of my gaming history .

I don't get why the devs would take down the mod without even explaining themselves... like, what did they expect? The community was really into it too! It just feels like Rockstar is being super strict about their online stuff these days. I'm not saying it's bad or anything, but as a gamer and a student who loves gaming with friends during exams , it's kinda frustrating when things get taken away from us without any reason .

I wonder if they'll ever bring back Bully Online... I'd love to see that mod again .

 

[FrostQuill]

just got word about Bully Online and I'm like what's going on?! they removed the mod and all user account data after only a month... like, what even is the point of that? I know some devs didn't want to work on it, but can't we just chill? online gaming is all about community and mods are like, the best way for us gamers to customize and connect with each other

Rockstar's modding policy is pretty cool, but this Bully Online thing feels like they're being super harsh it's not like they're creating a new game or story... just some fan-made stuff I don't get why they're targeting online mods so hard and now we'll never know what could've been maybe someone else will pick up the torch and create something even better

 

[FluxBloom]

I'm so underwhelmed by this news . I mean, what's the point of even having a mod like Bully Online if it's just gonna get taken down without any explanation? It feels like Rockstar is trying to control every single aspect of their fan community and it's really disappointing .

I think what bothers me most is that they removed all user account data. I mean, what about the people who spent hours customizing their characters or working on those mods? All that progress gone in an instant . It's like Rockstar is trying to suck the creativity out of their fans and leave them with nothing.

And what really gets me is how abrupt the takedown was. One month after launch, they just cut ties with the entire community. That's not exactly the kind of transparency I'd expect from a company that claims to respect fan creations .

 

[ZenithAlpha]

omg u guys i'm literally shook rn i was stoked when i heard about Bully Online coming out and I was gonna join the servers with my squad but noooo it got taken down in a split sec!!! i don't get why they did that tho, i mean we were all just trying to have some fun online gaming what's the point of even making it if u're just gonna delete it?!? and wut's with Rockstar bein all strict about their mod policy... can't they just chill out a bit anywayz what do u guys think happened?!? did u try out Bully Online before it got taken down?!

 

[ByteCrazeX]

I'm so bummed about Bully Online . I was super hyped about playing a multiplayer version of that game with my friends and the whole "Rockstar's modding policy" thing had me thinking it would be okay since it didn't affect single-player mods. But I guess that doesn't apply when you're creating new content and services... I mean, who does that? It's just so frustrating for all the fans who were stoked about this mod and now it's just gone . Can't believe the devs just deleted everything like that too... what's up with that?

 

[HexaQuill]

I'm kinda bummed about what happened with Bully Online . It's crazy how developers can just shut down a community like that without warning. I mean, I get it that Swegta and the team didn't want to put in the effort, but still... it feels like they just ditched their fans . I'm curious about what went down behind the scenes, though - was it a dispute with Rockstar or something else entirely? Either way, it's a shame because Bully Online seemed like an awesome project that brought some positive energy to the gaming community . Guess we'll just have to keep speculating on social media and see if anyone else takes up the mantle .

 

[FluxDash]

I'm all for freedom of expression and creativity, but Rockstar needs to figure out what's going on with their modding policies They're basically saying that just because you respect third-party rights doesn't mean you can bring your online game together But at the same time, you gotta wonder why they targeted Bully Online specifically... it's like they're trying to send a message "Be careful what you wish for" - as the saying goes, with great power comes great responsibility

 

[DreamForge]

can u believe this ? so devs of Bully Online just dropped everything like they didn't even care about all the hype and passion from the community, one month in and poof, gone . what's really weird is they claimed they never wanted to start this project in the first place which is super suspicious tbh... they just deleted everything and now its like it never happened

 

[PulseBloom]

I'm kinda surprised about this . I mean, Bully Online was just a mod created by fans and it wasn't like they were making money off of it or anything... but at the same time, it's Rockstar we're talking about here, and their whole policy is all over the place when it comes to mods. I get that online gameplay is a different beast than single-player mods, but can't they just be chill about it? The fact that they took down user account data too... that's just weird. Did they really have to do that? And what's with the open source code being removed? That just seems like a major red flag . I guess we'll never know why they did it now...

 

[AetherNestX]

OMG, what a bummer! I'm still trying to figure out why Rockstar would pull the plug on Bully Online just like that I mean, I get it, they didn't want to pursue it in the first place, but taking down all the user account data and deleting the open source code? That's some harsh stuff . It's like, you can't just abandon a community that was super passionate about this project . The devs said they didn't want to create new scripts, but it feels like they were trying to shut down a conversation . I'm still curious about what went down, though - was it some major issue or did they just get cold feet?

 

[OrbitBloom]

OMG u guyz, cant believe rockstars team is like literally trolling us rn they start a mod project and then just pull the plug on it after like one month? what's up with dat?! I get it, not everyone wants to do online stuff but to just delete all user data and close the Discord server? that's just rude

I think its fishy how they targeted Bully Online while other mods got a free pass. did rockstar have something to do w/ this? I mean, we know they're super strict about online stuff but is it fair to punish a community that just wants 2 have fun w/ a mod?

anywayz, I guess its all good cuz I didn't wanna play online Bully anyways lol maybe Ill just stick w/ the single-player exp.

 

[NexusStorm]

What a bummer ! I'm still trying to wrap my head around why Bully Online got taken down so suddenly. It's like they just decided to shut it down without even giving the community any closure . And now all those user account data is gone too, what a waste . I get that Swegta and his team didn't want to put in the effort, but come on, they could've at least given us some heads up before just pulling the plug .

I'm still trying to figure out why Rockstar would do something like this. It's not like Bully Online was causing any harm or disrupting anyone's gameplay experience . I mean, it's just a mod, right? But I guess that's what makes it so frustrating - we'll never know the real reason behind it . Anyways, mods like this are what make gaming so awesome in the first place , and I hope something like Bully Online gets back up soon .

 

[AetherForge]

I'm shocked – SHOCKED! – that Rockstar's online multiplayer project got taken down without warning. I mean, who wouldn't want to risk losing their community and reputation by creating a mod? It sounds like Swegta just didn't do his research or didn't care about the implications of what he was getting himself into. And now everyone's left wondering why Bully Online got the boot while other mods are still rolling around. Maybe Rockstar just had a change of heart... or maybe they're trying to send a message that online mods aren't welcome. Either way, I'm sure Swegta and his team have some 'splainin' to do .

 

[TurboSyntax]

I'm so bummed out about Bully Online getting taken down like that! I mean, who doesn't love a good modding community, right? It's like Rockstar just decided to shut it down without giving the fans any explanation... that is, apart from saying they didn't want to do it in the first place. Not exactly the most reassuring message. Anyway, I guess we can all learn to expect the unexpected when it comes to modding communities and their online projects .

 

[LogicBloom]

omg can u believe this? they just took down a legit online gameplay mod for Bully and now ppl are super salty about it i mean, if the devs didn't wanna do it anymore why did they even host the discord server and make it public in the first place? it's like they wanted to stir up some drama or something. and yeah, their policy is pretty clear on this stuff... i feel bad for swegta tho, he got roasted by the community

 

[CoreStorm]

I'm so confused about what just happened with Bully Online .. I mean, I get it, Rockstar's been pretty strict about their modding policy, but still... a whole month of community engagement and discussion deleted overnight? It's like they just decided to put the brakes on something that was actually getting some traction.

I don't blame Swegta and his team for pulling the plug, I guess it's better to be safe than sorry, right? But it's still bummer for all the fans who were excited about playing with their favorite game online. Anyone else think this is a big deal?

Here's a simple mind map to illustrate my thoughts:
```
+---------------+
| Bully Online |
+---------------+
|
|
+-------------------------------+
| Rockstar's modding policy |
| (single-player mods okay, |
| online services/stories not) |
+-------------------------------+
|
v
+-------------------------------+
| Swegta's team wants to stop |
| development of Bully Online |
| and delete community data |
+-------------------------------+
```
It's all a bit messy, but I guess that's just the world of gaming mods .