A recent rating by the Taiwanese Entertainment Software Ratings Board has sparked speculation about a potential re-release of the classic game, Bully, for modern consoles. The board has approved Bully for release on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, as well as PS4, Xbox One, and PC. Interestingly, the approved version is the European PAL version, known as the Canis Canem Edition. This news has sent fans into a frenzy, but there’s a twist.
It’s highly likely that this re-classification is specifically for Rockstar’s subscription service, GTA+, and not a full-fledged release on newer consoles. This is especially intriguing considering that the game was also approved for Xbox 360, a platform no longer actively supported.
Just a few days prior to the rating announcement, Rockstar Games revealed that Bully would be joining its GTA+ subscription service on August 20, 2024. According to Rockstar, GTA+ members will be able to download Bully on the consoles corresponding to their active membership, as well as on compatible iOS and Android devices.
The catch is that GTA+ is currently only available on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. However, a subscription grants access to select games on mobile platforms, including GTA Liberty City Stories and Chinatown Wars. Recently, Rockstar increased the price of GTA+ to $7.99 a month to reflect this added value.
The developer plans to continue rotating new games in and out of GTA+ similarly to the model used by Xbox Game Pass. This suggests that while Bully might be available for download on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, a full-fledged release for these consoles might not be on the horizon. The recent rating might simply be a formality to accommodate the game’s inclusion in the GTA+ subscription service.
