Postal: Bullet Paradise, a new game in the edgy Postal video game franchise, was announced in early December with a trailer and promotional art that was quickly swept up in controversy.
While there was some excitement about a new Postal video game, the alleged use of generative AI in promo materials caused plenty of concern about the quality of the upcoming game.
Postal: Bullet Paradise controversy – quick links
Goonswarm Games initially denied using generative AI in Postal: Bullet Paradise
Developer Goonswarm Games initially denied that generative AI had been involved, sending out various statements to media claiming this was an all-human production.
In a direct statement to PCGamesN, the studio said: ‘No generative AI was used for the reveal trailer or for the game. All assets were created by our human artists using standard tools.’ Additionally, it shared a variety of work-in-progress files in the attempt to allay allegations – although these were also accused of being AI-created materials.
Goonswarm Games claimed the allegations were false, and the result of people misinterpreting mistakes as proof of AI, without considering they reflected the ‘normal, human art-creation process’.
Initially, the game’s publisher, Running With Scissors, backed this claim. According to VGC, certain members of the publishing team even began name-calling in an aggressive attempt to push back on the narrative around Postal: Bullet Paradise.
But after days of backlash, the publisher instead backtracked on its defence, issuing a statement that claimed Goonswarm Games had, in fact, ‘broken’ the publisher’s trust, and that it had used generative AI to develop the game.
Running With Scisssors statement on Postal: Bullet Paradise’s AI use
‘After revealing Postal: Bullet Paradise, a title Running With Scissors was planning on publishing but not developing, we’ve been overwhelmed with negative responses from our concerned Postal Community,’ the publisher said in a statement issued to IGN and other media. ‘The strong feedback from them is that elements of the game are very likely AI-generated and thus has caused extreme damage to our brand and our company reputation.’
As a result, Running With Scissors chose to cancel the game outright.
Read: Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick shares measured take on AI in games
In a follow-up statement, Goonswarm Games confirmed this decision meant the entire studio had to shut down, as Postal: Bullet Paradise was a major and important project it had relied on.
‘Our project, and everything we built over the past six years, was canceled in just a few days,’ the studio posted on X. ‘Our studio was mistakenly accused of using AI-generated art in our games, and every attempt to clarify our work only escalated the situation.’
Goonswarm Games apologises, confirms AI use
Just a day on from this statement, Goonswarm Games added another layer to the story, finally conceding that generative AI had been used in the game, though blaming external artists for its inclusion.
‘Dear gamers, we want to start with a sincere apology to everyone affected by this situation: the community, our partners, and especially the artists who supported us,’ the studio said on X. ‘The last few days have been overwhelming. As a small studio, suddenly pushed into the spotlight, we reacted emotionally and defensively. The accusations came as a shock and we needed time to breathe, look at everything calmly and understand what truly happened.’
‘After taking that time and conducting an internal review, we agree with your criticism. The promo art does appear to include or be influenced by AI-generated material. We collaborated with external artists for years and never saw any signs of this. The layered PSDs [PhotoShop files] always looked legitimate within our internal pipeline, which is why our initial reaction was to protect our team and defend our innocence. We understand now that your concerns were valid. And we take responsibility for not catching this earlier.’
Goonswarm Games wanted to stress that generative AI was only used in promotional artwork and didn’t erase the work of the ‘real artists’ who worked on gameplay visuals, assets and other content. It has promised to ‘replace all disputed promo artwork across [its] projects,’ although it will seemingly remain shut down and Postal: Bullet Paradise will not be revived.
In a concluding statement on the matter made to IGN, Running With Scissors confirmed it needed to cut ties with Goonswarm Games and that it wishes the studio all the best for the future.
‘Running With Scissors has always operated with an unwavering commitment to the truth and transparency,’ the publisher said. ‘We look forward to continuing to support our fans and expand on the Postal universe played by millions.’
