POSTAL: Bullet Paradise, a planned spin-off shooter, was canceled within days of its December 2025 announcement after fans raised concerns that some of its promotional material looked AI-generated. Publisher Running With Scissors said it had lost trust in developer Goonswarm Games. Goonswarm first denied using AI, then later said the promotional art appeared to include or be influenced by AI-generated material; it did not say the game’s gameplay visuals were AI-made.
What happened to the new Postal game?
Running With Scissors announced POSTAL: Bullet Paradise on December 3, 2025, describing it as a bullet-heaven shooter with online co-op. Goonswarm Games was developing the spin-off, while Running With Scissors was set to publish it. Within days, criticism over suspected AI-generated art or promotional material was followed by the project’s cancellation and the removal of its Steam page.
The publisher said it had planned to publish the game, not develop it, and ended the project because its relationship with the developer had broken down: “Our trust in the development team is broken, therefore we’ve killed the project.” — Running With Scissors, cancellation statement, December 2025. Kotaku and Decrypt reported the cancellation and delisting.
Why was POSTAL: Bullet Paradise canceled?
Community members questioned whether parts of the game’s promotional material were AI-generated. Running With Scissors said feedback from the community was that elements were “very likely AI-generated,” and that the controversy had caused “extreme damage to our brand and our company reputation.” The phrase “very likely” was the publisher’s characterization of the concerns, not an independent finding that the game itself was AI-generated. Decrypt
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The dispute drew extra attention because Running With Scissors had argued publicly just days earlier that players should be told whether a game used AI: “Customers deserve to know if a game was crafted with creativity, soul and actual talent rather than some machine that craps out anything from a prompt.” — Running With Scissors, public statement, November 2025. Kotaku
What did Goonswarm say about AI use?
Goonswarm’s statements changed over the course of the controversy. It initially denied using AI-generated art and said it had been wrongly accused. After announcing that it would close, the studio later said the promotional art appeared to include or be influenced by AI-generated material. Goonswarm described the issue as limited to promotional assets and said it did not involve the artists responsible for gameplay visuals. That is the studio’s account; it is not an acknowledgment that the game’s in-game art was AI-generated. Decrypt
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| Stage | What the companies said or did |
|---|---|
| Announcement and criticism | Running With Scissors announced the game; fans questioned suspected AI use in art or promotional material. Kotaku |
| Cancellation | Running With Scissors ended the project, citing broken trust and community feedback about material it called “very likely AI-generated.” Decrypt |
| Goonswarm’s initial response | The developer denied using AI-generated art. Decrypt |
| Later statement | Goonswarm said promotional art appeared to include or be influenced by AI, while distinguishing those assets from gameplay visuals. Decrypt |
Why did Goonswarm Games close?
After the project was canceled, Goonswarm announced that it would shut down. The studio said it had received threats, insults, and mockery, and linked its closure to the fallout. That explanation is Goonswarm’s stated rationale; the closure and the publisher’s cancellation were separate announcements. Decrypt
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Could POSTAL: Bullet Paradise return?
There is no established announcement that the game will return in another form. Its Steam page was delisted after the cancellation, and the available statements describe the project as killed rather than paused. Kotaku
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