Key Takeaways
1. Running With Scissors canceled the game Postal: Bullet Paradise due to concerns about the use of generative AI in its development.
2. Goonswarm Games, the developers, denied using AI, stating that all game assets were created by human artists with standard tools.
3. The Postal community raised issues regarding the reveal trailer, noting problems like misplaced pixels and inconsistent shading, which fueled AI concerns.
4. Vince Desi, CEO of Running With Scissors, mentioned that the negative feedback from fans damaged the company’s reputation and trust in the development team.
5. Goonswarm Games announced the closure of their studio after facing threats and backlash related to the AI accusations.
Over the last few days, Running With Scissors has decided to scrap its upcoming game, Postal: Bullet Paradise. This cancellation came after fans raised concerns that Goonswarm Games, the developers, relied on generative AI to create game assets. Although Goonswarm Games quickly refuted these claims, Running With Scissors ultimately chose to end the project.
Game Overview
Postal: Bullet Paradise was introduced as a “timeline-hopping dystopian bullet heaven first-person shooter” that incorporates roguelike elements, drawing inspiration from the indie success, Vampire Survivors, and infusing it with the franchise’s signature dark humor.
The Postal community wasted no time dissecting the reveal trailer, pointing out issues like misplaced pixels, inconsistent shading, and odd mouth movements. Observers on social media highlighted that other trailers from Goonswarm also reflected similar traits that hinted at the use of generative AI.
Developer’s Response
Goonswarm Games told PCGamesN, “No generative AI was used for the reveal trailer or for the game. All assets were created by our human artist using standard tools. We’ve already shared layered PSDs, work-in-progress files, and other materials to confirm this.”
It’s also worth mentioning that Running With Scissors outsourced the development of Postal: Bullet Paradise to the Russian studio Goonswarm Games. Vince Desi, CEO of Running With Scissors, posted on X:
“After unveiling POSTAL: Bullet Paradise, a title we were set to publish but not develop, we were met with a flood of negative reactions from our concerned POSTAL Community. The strong feedback from them suggests that parts of the game are possibly AI-generated, which has severely harmed our brand and company reputation.
We have always been, and will continue to be, open with our community. Our trust in the development team has been shattered, so we decided to cancel the project. We have plenty of exciting things on the way (some you may know about and some you may not).”
Studio Shutdown
The backlash turned into threats, prompting Goonswarm Games to announce on X:
“We’ve closed down the studio. Our team was wrongly accused of using AI-generated art in our games, and every effort to clarify our work only made things worse. In the past few hours, we’ve been inundated with threats, insults, and mockery, which led us to make this hard decision.”
Postal: Bullet Paradise was expected to launch in Q3 of 2026 on platforms like Steam, Mac, Linux, PlayStation, and Switch, with a price tag of $19.99. However, the reveal trailer has now been set to private on YouTube, and a notice on the Steam page indicates that the game is no longer up for grabs.
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