To be fair, it is hardly a surprise that most people associate Rockstar Games with some of the biggest titles in the gaming industry. After all, franchises like Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption are simply iconic, and they have played a significant role in building up the studio’s reputation. However, Rockstar has also released some rather unusual titles over the years, with Bully being one of the most notable examples.
It proved that the studio was absolutely capable of delivering an amazing open-world experience without relying on the crime-filled cities that made the GTA series so successful. What is interesting, though, is that Rockstar’s co-founder Dan Houser recently revealed that both Bully and Red Dead Redemption almost did not happen at all. And while thankfully this never happened, his comments raised an interesting question about the studio’s future. With GTA 6, which is set to become such a massive release, every new idea may be threatened by its huge shadow.
Bully Is a Reminder of What Rockstar Could Have Lost
Many players could agree that Bully is one of the most unusual titles released by Rockstar Games, especially if we compare it to the Grand Theft Auto franchise. The game takes place in a school environment where players step into the shoes of Jimmy Hopkins and get into fights with bullies, pull pranks on students and teachers, and navigate rival school groups. Sure, the studio didn’t fully abandon GTA’s troublemaker formula, but it’s safe to say that replacing organized crime with teenage rivalries and high school drama is quite a refreshing change of pace. Nevertheless, even though the game still contains the typical Rockstar satire, humor, and freedom, the studio managed to create a title that felt distinct enough from GTA while staying true to what makes Rockstar’s games so recognizable.
Find all 10 pairs
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However, the fact that Bully almost never made it to release is quite a concerning revelation. It means that if Rockstar had decided to abandon the project, players would have missed out on one of the most recognizable releases that Rockstar has ever made outside of the GTA series. But what’s even more important is that Bully is now here to serve as a reminder that some of Rockstar’s most memorable titles were not guaranteed to succeed from the beginning. And with GTA 6 raising expectations even further, it’s worth asking the question of whether Rockstar will become more hesitant to release games that can’t match the scale of GTA 6.
GTA 6 Could Set an Impossible Standard for Future Rockstar Games
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Image via Rockstar Games -
Image via Rockstar Games -
Image via Rockstar Games
Through the years, Rockstar has become better and better at creating ambitious open-world games, and Grand Theft Auto 6 is just another example of the studio’s determination to keep raising the bar. However, doing so has a potential downside as well. As players become more and more accustomed to increasingly detailed environments, their expectations for future releases might become harder to satisfy.
Grand Theft Auto 6 is scheduled to release on November 19, 2026
And the saddest part is that this may create issues for games that were never even meant to compete with GTA 6 in the first place. For example, if Bully were to be released alongside GTA 6, there’s a big chance that it would have never made it out of the development phase out of fear it would fail to compare. Moreover, player expectations might make it hard for the studio to justify smaller releases as well. It’s just ironic how Rockstar’s greatest achievement might turn out to be exactly what will start holding it back.
Rockstar’s Biggest Franchises Could Become Its Greatest Limitation
Of course, we shouldn’t ignore the financial side of the situation either. Even those of us who are not math prodigies can understand why Rockstar might want to continue investing in its most successful releases rather than taking risks with new experiments. According to Take-Two’s official financial reports, GTA 5 has sold nearly 230 million copies, while Red Dead Redemption has surpassed 85 million.
Unfortunately, although this kind of success is spectacular, it may discourage the studio from investing in anything else. There’s also the possibility that it will actually do the opposite, but this doesn’t erase the fact that releasing anything less than GTA 6 could feel like a risky move.
Ideally, the success of GTA 6 would give Rockstar even more freedom to explore unfamiliar ideas rather than making the studio feel obligated to create one blockbuster after another. Usually, creativity is born out of freedom, not the pressure to meet people’s expectations. Besides, a game doesn’t really need to become the most memorable title of all time to be considered a success anyway. It will also be quite interesting to see whether GTA 6 will inspire Rockstar to revisit some of its older franchises as well. Without a doubt, no matter the outcome, it is true that GTA 6 has the potential to mark the beginning of a new chapter not only for Rockstar Games, but also for the entire gaming industry.
- Released
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November 19, 2026
- ESRB
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Rating Pending – Likely Mature 17+
