In his first-ever on-camera interview, Dan Houser explained the fan-favorite sequel was never made due to "bandwidth issues" as the studio prioritized massive projects like GTA and Red Dead Redemption.

After nearly two decades of fan speculation and wishful thinking, Rockstar Games co-founder Dan Houser has finally put the mystery of Bully 2 to rest. The answer is disappointingly simple: they just didn't have enough people.

Speaking at LA Comic Con in his first-ever on-camera interview, Houser was asked directly why the beloved 2006 boarding school adventure never got a sequel - and we actually got a definitive answer. His response could be best described as deflating for fans who've been holding out hope.

"I think it was just bandwidth issues," Houser explained. "If you've got a small lead creative team and a small senior leadership crew, you just can't do all the projects you want."

The original Bully, also known as Canis Canem Edit in some regions, was a standout hit on PlayStation 2. Players controlled Jimmy Hopkins as he maneuvered the social hierarchies and everyday chaos of Bullworth Academy. The game earned critical acclaim and developed a passionate fan base who've been clamoring for a sequel ever since.

Alas, Rockstar had bigger fish to fry. While Bully was finding its audience, the studio was already deep into developing GTA sequels and eventually Red Dead Redemption. These massive open-world games demanded enormous resources and years of development time. GTA V alone consumed several years of the studio's attention, followed by eight years working on Red Dead Redemption 2, and now all hands are on deck for the highly anticipated GTA 6.

During the interview, Houser identified Bully as one of his career highlights, alongside Red Dead Redemption and GTA III. What two out of these three games had in common was that they were both brand-new IPs at the time. "Doing that for the first time, assembling something strong is a gratifying experience," he added.

This isn't the first time Houser has cited bandwidth as the reason for Bully 2's absence. Over a decade ago, he made similar comments about the studio choosing to develop Max Payne 3 instead of a Bully sequel due to limited resources. Now at his new company, Absurd Ventures, Houser is specifically trying to structure things differently to handle multiple projects simultaneously.

So there you have it, Bully fans. The game you've been waiting for didn't happen not because Rockstar didn't want to make it, but simply because they couldn't spare the people. Whether that will change now that Rockstar has grown into a gaming giant remains to be seen, but with GTA 6 still consuming the studio's attention, don't expect Jimmy Hopkins to return to Bullworth Academy anytime soon.

Bully is available on GTA+ alongside other classic Rockstar titles, including LA Noire and Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition.