- Swegta's Bully Online mod has been shut down, and all source code has been removed from the internet
- The creator did not provide a reason, but it is suspected that Rockstar issued a cease and desist to halt the project
- A developer on the project stated, "know this was not something we wanted"
The creator of the Bully Online mod has announced the permanent shutdown of the project, just one month after its launch.
Released in December, this viral mod transformed Rockstar Games' 2006 title into a multiplayer experience; however, it has now been entirely erased from the internet, including its source code.
Project lead 'Swegta' shared the news in an update on their official website (via GamesRadar).
Insider Gaming reported that they obtained screenshots of messages from Swegta's Discord, which provided additional details.
One message stated, "The Bully Online project is shutting down forever, which unfortunately means all the following will happen in 24 hours: our official Bully Online server (on swegta.com) will be shut down, development of scripts for Bully Online will cease, the source code will be removed from swegta.com, all our webpages referring to it will be deleted, the launcher downloads will be taken down, and all Bully Online account data will be permanently erased."
A team member also mentioned that Swegta would be creating a video with more information about the shutdown, emphasizing, "know this was not something we wanted."
Prior to the mod's release, Swegta expressed confidence that there would be no issues with Rockstar, stating that it required a legal copy of the game to function, "it competes with no Rockstar Games/Take-Two property" and "only modifies the game executable and loads content we made."
While Swegta and his team did not specify the reason for the shutdown, it appears likely that Rockstar sent a cease and desist, a common action the company has taken in the past.
In related news, Rockstar has launched the Cfx Marketplace, a platform dedicated to the buying and selling of mods for GTA Online and Red Dead Online.