Developer Running with Scissors briefly unveiled a new entry in its controversial first-person shooter series, Postal, on Wednesday, only to cancel it the following day. Amid backlash and threats targeting the team, the studio announced it is shutting down entirely.

Figure 1. Postal Sequel Announced, Then Pulled After Immediate Backlash.

Titled Postal: Bullet Paradise, the game was described as a "timeline-hopping dystopian bullet heaven first-person shooter" featuring the franchise’s trademark dark humor. Developed by Goonswarm Games, the title seemed inspired by games like Vampire Survivors. Players would have controlled various Postal Dudes, battling—and even urinating on—crowds of cultists and protestors in a chaotic quest to eliminate "forced positivity, constant surveillance, glaringly bright lights, and social credit scores." Figure 1 shows Postal Sequel Announced, Then Pulled After Immediate Backlash.

Backlash against Postal: Bullet Paradise was immediate, with fans accusing Goonswarm Games and Running with Scissors of relying on generative AI for the game's artwork. Although co-owner Mike Jaret strongly denied that any AI-generated assets were used, the studio’s stance appeared to shift in recent days. In a statement on the Running with Scissors X account, the studio announced it had “killed the project” after being “overwhelmed with negative responses from our concerned POSTAL Community” regarding Bullet Paradise.

Developer Running with Scissors briefly announced a new entry in its controversial first-person shooter series, Postal, on Wednesday, only to cancel it by Thursday. Now, the studio behind the game says it is shutting down amid backlash and threats against its developers.

The game, Postal: Bullet Paradise, was described as a "timeline-hopping dystopian bullet heaven first-person shooter with POSTAL’s signature darkly humorous personality." Developed by Goonswarm Games, the title appeared inspired by games like Vampire Survivors. Players would have controlled various Postal Dudes, mowing down—and even urinating on—hordes of cultists and protestors in a chaotic effort to eliminate "forced positivity, constant surveillance, obnoxiously bright lights, and social credit scores."

postal: Bullet Paradise was originally scheduled for a Q3 2026 release on Steam, with planned versions for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5.

However, backlash was immediate. Fans accused Goonswarm Games and Running with Scissors of using generative AI for the game's artwork. While Running with Scissors co-owner Mike Jaret initially denied the claims, the studio’s position appeared to shift in recent days. In a statement posted to the Running with Scissors X account, the studio confirmed it had "killed the project" after being "overwhelmed with negative responses from our concerned POSTAL Community" regarding Bullet Paradise, adding, "Our trust in the development team is broken."

Though the official announcement for the game remains on the RWS website, the reveal trailer has been set to private on YouTube, and its Steam page now carries the message: "Notice: POSTAL: Bullet Paradise is no longer available on the Steam store." The game cannot be found via Steam search.

Before the cancellation, Jaret defended Goonswarm Games and Running with Scissors on the Postal Discord, calling accusations of AI use "ignorant" and warning that anyone who still believed the key art was AI-generated could "just excuse yourself from our Discord."

On Friday, Goonswarm Games issued its own statement, confirming the game’s cancellation and the studio’s closure in the wake of the controversy. "Our studio was mistakenly accused of using AI-generated art in our games, and every attempt to clarify our work only escalated the situation," the statement read. "In the last few hours, we’ve received a large number of threats, insults, and mockery, which pushed us toward a very difficult decision.

"We’re truly sorry for the artist who poured their soul into this project and supported our studio, only to face false AI accusations. It’s tough to invest so much energy into a game and end up caught in the middle of an AI war by accident."

Source: Polygon

Cite this article:

Priyadharshini S (2025), New Postal Game Unveiled, Canceled Instantly Amid Backlash, AnaTechMaz, pp.362