Controversy
| February 6, 2007 – | – Take-Two Interactive formally announce Manhunt 2 for PS2, PSP and Wii. | |
| February 7, 2007 – | – Official Manhunt 2 teaser website launched. | |
| February 8, 2007 – | – Stefan Pakeerah's parents and Labour MP Keith Vaz condemn Rockstar for making a sequel to Manhunt. | |
| February 23, 2007 – | – Jack Thompson vows to have Manhunt 2 banned. | |
| March 5, 2007 – | – First images of Manhunt 2 appear in PlayStation Official Magazine (UK). | |
| March 10, 2007 – | – Jack Thompson vows to sue Take-Two/Rockstar so as to have Manhunt 2 banned as a "public nuisance". | |
| March 16, 2007 – | – Take-Two petition Florida District Courts of Appeal to have Thompson's impending lawsuit blocked. | |
| March 17, 2007 – | – Thompson vows to "destroy" Take-Two. | |
| March 21, 2007 – | – Thompson files a counterclaim in which he accuses Take-Two of racketeering and attempting to violate his civil liberties. | |
| April 9, 2007 – | – Official box art released. | |
| April 13, 2007 – | – Official Manhunt 2 website launched. | |
| April 19, 2007 – | – Thompson and Take-Two settle out of court; Thompson will not attempt to have Manhunt 2 banned. | |
| May 8, 2007 – | – Thompson demands Wendy's stop a Wii promotion, as Manhunt 2 will be appearing on the Wii. | |
| May 12, 2007 – | – Thompson writes a letter to Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum and Florida Governor Charlie Crist warning them about the dangers of Manhunt 2. | |
| May 17, 2007 – | – First live footage released. | |
| June 6, 2007 – | – In a Fox News interview, Bill McCollum expresses concerns about the immersive nature of Manhunt 2 on the Wii. | |
| June 7, 2007 – | – Manhunt 2 delayed a week in Europe; Take-Two deny reports it has anything to do with censorship issues. | |
| June 10, 2007 – | – The Center for a Commercial-Free Childhood write to the ESRB demanding Manhunt 2 be rated AO, mainly because of the immersive nature of the Wii. | |
| June 19, 2007 – | – The BBFC and IFCO refuse to classify Manhunt 2; the ESRB rate it AO. | |
| June 20, 2007 – | – Nintendo and Sony reiterate that they do not allow AO titles on their systems, effectively meaning Manhunt 2 is banned in the US. | |
| June 21, 2007 – | – Manhunt 2 temporarily suspended by Take-Two whilst they consider their options. | |
| August 24, 2007 – | – An edited version of Manhunt 2, with filters added over the executions, is given an M rating by the ESRB. | |
| August 24, 2007 – | – The Center for a Commercial-Free Childhood calls for a federal investigation into the process whereby Manhunt 2 was re-rated M. | |
| August 29, 2007 – | – ESRB President Patricia Vance says the inner workings of the organization will not be made public. | |
| September 6 2007 – | – Sections of the original uncensored PAL version of Manhunt 2 leaked onto the internet. | |
| October 8, 2007 – | – The BBFC refuse to rate the edited version of Manhunt 2. | |
| October 17, 2007 – | – Channel 5 and Sky News show footage from the uncensored version of Manhunt 2 leaked onto the internet. | |
| October 22, 2007 – | – An unnamed employee of Sony Europe is revealed to have leaked the game onto the internet. | |
| October 31, 2007 – | – Manhunt 2 released in North America. | |
| November 1, 2007 – | – Instructions on how to remove the execution filters on the PSP and PS2 versions of the game posted online. Calls for the game to be banned. | |
| November 2, 2007 – | – California Senator Leland Yee and the Parents Television Council demand Manhunt 2 be re-rated AO. | |
| November 2, 2007 – | – Later that day, the ESRB absolve Take-Two of any responsibility concerning the ability to remove the execution filters. The game will not be re-rated AO. | |
| November 7, 2007 – | – Target remove Manhunt 2 from all stores. | |
| November 14, 2007 – | – The Christian Film and Television Commission condemn Manhunt 2 and demand it be re-rated AO. | |
| November 20, 2007 – | – US senators Joe Lieberman, Evan Bayh, Sam Brownback and Hillary Rodham Clinton write to the ESRB asking for Manhunt 2 to be re-rated AO. | |
| November 26, 2007 – | – Rockstar appeals the BBFC verdict. | |
| December 10, 2007 – | – Rockstar win their appeal against the BBFC when the VAC vote in their favor by four votes to three. | |
| December 17, 2007 – | – The BBFC reject the verdict of the VAC and take Rockstar to the Royal Courts of Justice. | |
| January 24, 2008 – | – The High Court rules in favor of the BBFC and orders the VAC to review their findings. | |
| March 14, 2008 – | – The VAC again rule in Rockstar's favor, again by four votes to three. The BBFC is now powerless to block the game. Manhunt 2 is classified 18. | |
| March 20, 2008 – | – MP Julian Brazier calls for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to block release of the game in the UK. They refuse and stand by the VAC decision. | |
| October 29, 2008 – | – Manhunt 2 released in the UK with an 18 certificate. | |
| November 6, 2009 – | – Original, unedited version of Manhunt 2 released in the US on PC with an AO rating through Direct2Drive | |
| July 11, 2011 – | – Manhunt 2 removed from Direct2Drive when it is purchased by GameFly, who do not carry AO titles. |
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