AI Accusations Killed a PS5, PS4 Game in Two Days, and the Studio Behind It Is Shutting Down

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Update [Mon 8th Dec 2025, 11:30am]:

Goonswarm Games, the team behind the upcoming game Postal: Bullet Paradise, has announced it is shutting down.

A fast-paced action game inspired by the Postal series was quickly announced and then cancelled after a strong public backlash. Many people accused the developers of using artificial intelligence to create the game’s visuals, adding to the controversy.

After the publisher cancelled the project, Goonswarm Games announced it will be shutting down completely.

The statement claims the team was wrongly accused of using AI tools, and as a result, the studio will close and cease all operations.

A day later, another statement from Goonswarm Games was issued:

Okay, so the studio just put out a statement, and honestly, it sounds like they’re sorry for how they initially reacted to everything. They’re also admitting that they did use AI to help create some of the promotional artwork. It’s good they’re being upfront about it, I guess!

Following an internal review, the team determined that the community’s concerns were legitimate.

Even though we already announced the studio’s closure, we still feel accountable for what happens next. We’ll replace any promotional artwork that’s causing concern with new pieces made entirely by human artists, using our remaining funds. This will take time, but we are committed to completing it.

This week, a new game called Postal: Bullet Paradise was revealed. It’s a “bullet heaven” style game – similar to Vampire Survivors – and builds on the classic Postal shooter series.

Unfortunately, the PS5 and PS4 game has been cancelled, just two days after it was first announced.

The game received a strongly negative reaction from players, largely due to concerns that it relied too much on AI-generated content.

For reference, here’s the announce trailer:

The video seems to use some artificial intelligence – specifically, the voice acting and artwork in the cutscenes look a bit unnatural.

Originally, Running with Scissors was going to publish the game, which was being created by Goonswarm Games. However, due to strong public criticism, the publisher has now cancelled the project and removed its association with it.

Here’s the full statement from Running with Scissors founder, Vince Desi:

We recently announced POSTAL: Bullet Paradise, a game Running With Scissors intended to publish, but not create ourselves. We received a lot of upset feedback from our POSTAL community, who believe parts of the game were likely made using AI. This has seriously harmed our brand and reputation. We value honesty with our community, and because we’ve lost trust in the development team, we’ve cancelled the project. We have exciting things in the works, some of which you already know about, and some that are still surprises.

Since 1996, we at Running With Scissors have considered our fans a core part of what we do. We’re dedicated to delivering great experiences for the millions who enjoy the POSTAL games. We appreciate the chance to create the games we’re passionate about and are excited to keep working on new projects and updates, with more to come in 2026 and beyond. We look forward to sharing what’s next!

Generative AI has sparked a lot of debate recently, especially in the video game industry. Several games, including Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 and ARC Raiders, have faced criticism for using AI tools during their development.

So, I’m really curious what everyone else thinks about what happened with the game. Do you guys think Running with Scissors made the right call shutting it down after all the backlash from players? Let me know your opinions in the comments – I want to hear what you all think!

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2025-12-08 14:37