Rockstar's Legal Hammer Just Smashed Bully Online - Again

A month after launching a multiplayer mod that reimagined Bully with 'new systems and scripts,' the Bully Online project vanished—its mod DB page removed, source code deleted, and launcher shut down with no official explanation.

Swegta, the project lead, posted a final statement:

The Bully Online project is shutting down forever... all Bully Online account data will be permanently deleted.

Industry observers noted the timing aligned with Rockstar’s documented history of legal threats. A teardown of the mod’s closure described it as 'absolutely *screams* cease-and-desist letter,' citing Rockstar’s 2023 acquisition of FiveM/RedM modders and its subsequent control over modding ecosystems.

The shutdown mirrors past Rockstar enforcement actions, including a 2021 C&D against a GTA V modder for 'unauthorized monetization' and a 2022 takedown of a GTA Online server network for 'IP infringement.'

No formal legal notice has been confirmed for Bully Online, but the pattern remains clear: Rockstar prioritizes centralized control over community-driven modifications.