The developers of Postal: Bullet Paradise have shut down, but not before flip-flopping on claims against it regarding use of generative AI.
On Friday, it was reported that Running With Scissors had canceled Postal: Bullet Paradise a day after it was first revealed. That cancellation came after being “overwhelmed with negative responses” regarding the game relying heavily on AI-generated assets. Because of that, the studio ended development on the game, and cut ties with developer Goonswarm Games.
After the news broke, Goonswarm Games didn’t stay quiet for long. The studio posted a statement on social media saying that it was “mistakenly accused” of using AI-generated art in the game and that “every attempt to clarify our work only escalated the situation.”
The studio added that they were “truly sorry” to artists who “put their soul into this” only to be hit with “false AI accusations”.
“It’s tough to pour so much energy into a game and end up caught in the middle of an AI war by accident,” they said. “We’ve decided to shut down the studio and end all future activities.”
Being faced with accusations of using AI in your games is nothing new in today’s climate, but shutting down a studio for what they claimed were false allegations seemed like a jump to a lot of onlookers.
Turns out, there was more smoke to the fire.
A day after denying use of generative AI in the Postal: Bullet Paradise, Goonswarm Games put out another lengthy social media message stating that there was, in fact, AI-generated assets used.
“The promo art does appear to include or be influenced by AI-generated material,” they said. “We collaborated with external artists for years and never saw any signs of this. The layered PSDs 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.”
The studio then said that the only art they claim was AI generated was promo art, and it “does not concern the real artists who worked on gameplay visuals, assets, and other content.”
In a statement provided to Insider Gaming, Running With Scissors founder Vince Desi said that they wished them the best as both parties move forward in separate ways.
“Running With Scissors has always operated with an unwavering commitment to the truth and transparency,” he added. “We look forward to continuing to support our fans and expand on the Postal universe played by millions.”
What do you think of the situation surrounding Running With Scissors, Goonswarm Games, and Postal: Bullet Paradise in regards to AI usage? Leave your thoughts down in the comments or in the official Insider Gaming Discord server.
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Mike has been covering the gaming industry since 2012, and has reported on some of the largest events in the industry while also working as an investigative reporter. Outside of…
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