Postal: Bullet Paradise, originally scheduled for release on Steam, was abruptly canceled just one day after its announcement. Immediately following the game’s launch, gamers launched intense criticisms alleging the project’s use of AI-generated visuals, sparking a massive backlash on social media. While the developer initially vehemently denied these allegations, the publisher has decided to completely shut down the project.

Postal: Bullet Paradise Cancelled Due to AI Controversy

The rights to the Postal series are held by Arizona-based Running with Scissors (RWS). RWS, which has developed almost all of the main games in-house since the series began in 1997, announced Postal: Bullet Paradise, the third installment in the series developed by an external studio, on December 3rd. This new installment was described as a time-travel-themed shooter developed by independent studio Goonswarm Games.

However, just 24 hours after the announcement, publisher RWS announced the cancellation of the project. The company cited overwhelming negative reaction from the online community as the primary reason for the decision. Acknowledging the accusations of AI that spread rapidly on social media, the publisher stated in a statement that their trust in the development team had been broken and that they were “killing” the project as a result. While RWS didn’t definitively confirm fans’ suspicions about the game’s use of AI, it did highlight the issue of trust.

Following the crisis, RWS apologized to those who felt insulted “in the heat of the moment,” excluding those who sent them death threats. However, some fans argued that this statement was insufficient. Allegedly, between the game’s announcement and its cancellation, company representatives had insulted users and used extremely harsh language on their Discord server. Many users stated that such unprofessional behavior was unacceptable.

Developing studio Goonswarm Games denied the AI ​​allegations on December 5th, but also announced its closure. A day later, they issued a more emotional statement, admitting their initial reaction was due to shock. Following an internal review, the studio admitted that the promotional images had been influenced by AI. Despite this, they maintained that the in-game elements were entirely created by real artists.

With the studio’s closure, a total of nine people, including full-time employees and contract workers, will be laid off. Interestingly, despite the closure, the company pledged to replace the controversial artwork in all its projects with human-created artwork. This came after signs of AI were discovered in the studio’s other games, such as a character wielding a sword missing a finger. RWS stated that plans for the series’ future are ongoing, with the first announcement expected in 2026.

Do you think the use of AI in game development and promotional materials is acceptable, or should studios rely entirely on human labor?