Back in 2006, Rockstar Games, the studio behind Grand Theft Auto, decided to take a break from carjackings and crime sprees to release a game that, on paper, sounded like a drastic departure. Enter Bully, a game that was bold, controversial, and way ahead of its time.

It’s also a title that managed to get itself banned in Brazil, yanked from shelves in parts of the UK, and even examined in courtrooms. The crime? Supposedly teaching kids how to bully… or worse. But here’s the twist: the game wasn’t about glorifying bullies, but it was about standing up to them.

Dan Houser set the record straight on Bully’s real message

At its core, Bully was a game about growing up in a broken system. It explored bullying, cliques, and power imbalances, but it did so with surprising sensitivity. Players attended classes, pulled off pranks, stood up to bullies,...