- Two Decades Later, Bully Finally Goes Online
- What Bully Online Actually Does
- The Rat FPS Nobody Saw Coming
- Early Access Behind a Paywall
- Built on DSL Script Loader
- Will Rockstar Shut It Down?
- Replacing the Failed BullyMP Project
- What This Means for Bully’s Future
- Frequently Asked Questions
- The Sequel Fans Deserve, If Not The One Rockstar Will Make
Two Decades Later, Bully Finally Goes Online
Bully Online officially released on December 15, 2025, bringing multiplayer functionality to Rockstar’s beloved 2006 open-world school simulator. Led by YouTuber and modder SWEGTA, the ambitious project transforms Bully: Scholarship Edition into a GTA Online-style experience complete with roleplay servers, mini-games, racing, player housing, and all the chaotic sandbox freedom that entails. Early access currently requires an $8 Ko-Fi donation, with public release planned for “due time” according to the development team.
This represents the culmination of years of work using the DSL script loader, a plugin that enables extensive modding previously thought impossible. SWEGTA personally invested significant money into the project to ensure it actually happened, telling fans “we have something incredible to show you all.” The trailer showcases multiple players cruising in cars together, engaging in brutal brawls, competing in races, and causing the kind of mayhem Bullworth Academy was never designed to handle.
The timing couldn’t be better for nostalgic fans. Rockstar co-founder Dan Houser confirmed in September 2024 that Bully 2 never happened because “you just can’t do all the projects you want.” With no official sequel on the horizon despite nearly 20 years of fan demand, Bully Online offers the next best thing: a reason to return to Bullworth Academy with friends and create new memories in a world that shaped many gamers’ childhoods.
What Bully Online Actually Does
The mod functions like GTA Online transplanted into Bully’s schoolyard setting. Players connect to dedicated servers where they can explore Bullworth Academy and the surrounding town with dozens of other players simultaneously. The experience mixes free-roaming sandbox chaos with structured mini-games and roleplay opportunities, creating emergent gameplay moments that the single-player campaign could never provide.
A fully integrated currency and inventory system lets players earn money through various objectives and mini-games. That cash can be spent on houses scattered throughout the game world, custom vehicles for racing, weapons for combat, and miscellaneous items for customization. It’s the progression loop that made GTA Online addictive, adapted to fit Bully’s less lethal but equally chaotic tone.
Racing deserves special mention. Bully Online includes custom-made vehicles specifically designed for competitive racing events. The original game featured bicycles and go-karts, but the mod expands vehicle variety significantly while implementing proper racing mechanics with checkpoints, lap tracking, and competitive leaderboards. When you’re not racing, you can cruise around town showing off your ride or use it to quickly traverse the map during missions.
Core Features
- Dedicated multiplayer servers with dozens of concurrent players
- Full roleplay support with customizable characters and interactions
- Integrated currency system for earning money through objectives
- Player housing that can be purchased and customized
- Custom vehicles designed for racing and exploration
- Competitive mini-games including races and combat arenas
- Inventory system for trading items between players
- Special rat-based FPS deathmatch mode (yes, really)
The Rat FPS Nobody Saw Coming
One of Bully Online’s wildest features is a first-person shooter mode where players control oversized cartoonish rats armed with guns. SWEGTA explained the bizarre concept in his announcement video: “Obviously we didn’t want to add guns to the free-roaming experience” given Bully’s setting around teenage characters and Rockstar’s original concerns about age-appropriate combat. The solution? Put the guns in the hands of cartoon rats instead.
This rat-based deathmatch exists as a separate mini-game mode accessed through the main server. Players spawn as comically large rodents in dedicated arenas designed for FPS combat. It’s absurd, ridiculous, and exactly the kind of creative problem-solving that defines passionate mod projects. The team didn’t want to compromise Bully’s tone with realistic gun violence, so they found a workaround that adds gameplay variety while maintaining the whimsical atmosphere.
The rat mode also demonstrates how Bully Online expands beyond simply adding multiplayer to the existing game. The developers are creating entirely new gameplay experiences that leverage the mod’s technical capabilities in creative ways. Who knows what other bizarre mini-games might appear as development continues post-launch.
Early Access Behind a Paywall
The December 15 release is specifically early access limited to Ko-Fi supporters who donate $8 or more to the project. Those supporters receive several perks beyond just server access. They get behind-the-scenes content including videos, screenshots, and developer commentary explaining design decisions. They receive a blue player name tag that differentiates them from regular players (admins have red, free players will have white). They get priority when joining full servers. And they receive a special in-game digital camera for capturing memorable moments.
The paywall generated mixed reactions. Some fans appreciate supporting dedicated modders who invested years and personal money into the project. Others criticize paywalling mods as antithetical to modding culture, arguing community creations should remain freely accessible. The Bully Online team emphasizes that public release is coming, but early access supporters help fund ongoing development and server costs while getting exclusive perks as thanks.
SWEGTA addressed the early access structure directly, stating “this is supposed to be a preview for all of you people who have been waiting sooo long for this mod to be released.” He admits the current build is “unstable, but fun nonetheless,” with many features subject to change based on feedback. The early access period functions as an extended beta test where paying supporters help identify bugs and balance issues before the wider public release.
Built on DSL Script Loader
The technical foundation enabling Bully Online is the DSL script loader, a plugin for Bully: Scholarship Edition that allows extensive modifications to the game’s code. This tool opened doors previously locked, letting modders implement features that seemed impossible just a few years ago. Full multiplayer synchronization, networked inventory systems, server architecture – none of this existed in Bully’s original codebase.
The DSL script loader essentially provides a modding API that hooks into Bully’s core systems without requiring source code access. This lets developers add new functionality, modify existing mechanics, and create entirely new game modes while the base game continues running underneath. It’s similar to how FiveM enables elaborate GTA Online roleplay servers that go far beyond Rockstar’s official multiplayer implementation.
Interestingly, Rockstar actually acquired the team behind FiveM in August 2023, eight years after initially banning the mod. That acquisition suggests Rockstar recognizes the value community-created multiplayer experiences bring to their games. Whether they’ll similarly embrace Bully Online remains to be seen, but SWEGTA expressed confidence the mod doesn’t violate legal boundaries since it requires purchasing a legitimate copy of Bully and doesn’t redistribute any game files.
Will Rockstar Shut It Down?
The elephant in the room is whether Rockstar will tolerate Bully Online or issue a cease and desist. Nintendo famously nukes fan projects with extreme prejudice, but Rockstar’s track record is more nuanced. They initially banned FiveM, then years later acquired the developers. They’ve allowed countless GTA mods to flourish. Red Dead Redemption PC mods exist without interference. Rockstar seems to draw the line at mods that redistribute copyrighted assets or enable piracy.
SWEGTA addressed these concerns proactively in a tweet, emphasizing that Bully Online “requires a legal copy of the game to play,” doesn’t “redistribute any game files,” and “competes with no existing Rockstar Games product or online service.” The mod functions as an add-on to a game players must purchase legitimately. It doesn’t offer a way to play Bully without buying it. And since Rockstar shows zero interest in creating Bully 2 or official Bully multiplayer, the mod isn’t cannibalizing potential revenue.
That said, companies are unpredictable. Take-Two Interactive, Rockstar’s parent company, has historically been aggressive protecting IP rights. If they decide Bully Online represents a threat to brand control or future monetization plans, legal action remains possible regardless of how careful the modders were. For now, the project exists in the gray area many ambitious mods occupy: technically legal but dependent on corporate goodwill to survive long-term.
Replacing the Failed BullyMP Project
Bully Online isn’t the first attempt at bringing multiplayer to Rockstar’s school simulator. An earlier project called BullyMP attempted similar goals but was eventually abandoned. SWEGTA and his team learned from BullyMP’s shortcomings, repurposing ideas that didn’t make it into the previous mod while building a more stable technical foundation using improved tools.
The failure of BullyMP highlights how difficult large-scale modding projects are to sustain. Development drags on for years. Team members lose interest or get busy with real life. Technical challenges prove insurmountable with available tools. Financial costs mount without revenue streams. Most ambitious mods die in development, announced with hype then quietly abandoned when reality doesn’t match ambition.
Bully Online avoided that fate through SWEGTA’s personal financial investment and the DSL script loader providing better technical capabilities than earlier modding attempts had access to. The team also showed restraint by keeping the project secret until development reached a point where they felt confident showing it publicly. Too many mods announce prematurely, generate hype, then collapse under the weight of expectations when development stalls. Bully Online worked in the shadows until it was ready to actually deliver.
What This Means for Bully’s Future
Bully Online’s release likely represents the closest thing to Bully 2 that fans will ever experience. Rockstar’s radio silence on the franchise speaks volumes. They’re developing one or two games per decade now, focusing entirely on guaranteed blockbusters like GTA 6. Bully, while beloved, doesn’t have the mainstream recognition or proven revenue potential to justify the massive investment modern Rockstar games require.
The mod breathes new life into a nearly 20-year-old game, giving longtime fans a reason to revisit Bullworth Academy while introducing younger players to a classic they might have missed. If the multiplayer experience proves genuinely fun and the community rallies around it, Bully Online could sustain an active player base for years. Look at San Andreas Multiplayer or FiveM – both mods for decade-old games that maintain dedicated audiences through emergent multiplayer gameplay.
There’s also a slim possibility that Bully Online’s success could convince Rockstar a sequel is financially viable. If thousands of players flock to a fan-made multiplayer mod for a 2006 game, that demonstrates sustained interest in the IP. Corporate executives pay attention to engagement metrics. A thriving Bully Online community proves the brand still resonates, potentially making Bully 2 less risky from a business perspective. It’s a long shot, but stranger things have happened.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did Bully Online release?
Bully Online released on December 15, 2025, in early access for Ko-Fi supporters. The team plans a free public release at an unspecified later date once the early access period helps stabilize the mod.
How much does Bully Online cost?
Early access requires an $8 donation to the project’s Ko-Fi page. This grants server access plus additional perks like behind-the-scenes content, priority joining, special name tags, and an in-game camera. Public release will be free.
Do I need Bully: Scholarship Edition to play?
Yes, Bully Online requires a legitimate purchased copy of Bully: Scholarship Edition on PC. The mod doesn’t redistribute game files and only works as an add-on to the official game.
What platforms is Bully Online available on?
Currently PC only, as the mod is built for Bully: Scholarship Edition on PC using the DSL script loader. Console versions of Bully cannot run the mod due to technical limitations.
Who is SWEGTA?
SWEGTA is a YouTuber, content creator, and modder focused on Rockstar Games, particularly Bully. He personally invested significant money into Bully Online and leads the development team bringing the mod to life.
Will Rockstar shut down Bully Online?
Unknown. The mod requires legitimate game purchases and doesn’t redistribute copyrighted files, which should protect it legally. However, corporate IP enforcement is unpredictable. SWEGTA believes the mod doesn’t violate Rockstar’s terms, but only time will tell.
Can I play Bully Online solo?
While the mod is designed for multiplayer, you can join servers alone. However, the experience is built around interacting with other players through races, mini-games, and free-roaming chaos. Solo play defeats the purpose.
When is the free public release?
The team hasn’t announced a specific date, only saying public release will come “in due time.” The early access period helps identify bugs and balance issues before opening servers to everyone.
The Sequel Fans Deserve, If Not The One Rockstar Will Make
Bully Online represents everything great about modding culture. Passionate fans refuse to let beloved games fade into obscurity, investing years of unpaid labor and personal funds to create experiences publishers won’t. The result is a multiplayer mode for a nearly 20-year-old single-player game, bringing new life to Bullworth Academy when Rockstar shows zero interest in revisiting the franchise.
Whether Bully Online succeeds long-term depends on several factors outside the developers’ control. Will the servers stay stable under heavy player load? Will the community embrace roleplay and mini-games or devolve into chaos? Will Rockstar allow the mod to exist or send lawyers? Will enough people support the Ko-Fi to justify ongoing development and server costs?
For now, thousands of Bully fans finally have what they’ve wanted since 2006: a way to experience Bullworth Academy with friends. They can race through town, compete in dodgeball tournaments, buy houses, customize characters, and yes, shoot each other as oversized cartoon rats. It’s absurd, ambitious, and absolutely what the Bully community deserves after two decades of patience waiting for a sequel that will probably never come.
If you’ve been waiting years to return to Bullworth Academy, December 15, 2025, marks your chance. Support the Ko-Fi, grab your copy of Bully: Scholarship Edition, and prepare to relive school days with significantly more multiplayer mayhem than any actual boarding school should legally permit. The halls of Bullworth Academy are open again. This time, you’re not facing them alone.