San Francisco developer withdraws controversial zombie game

Pierre-Louis Biojout, founder of the startup NanoCorp, has withdrawn his video game ‘Tenderloin Night Shift’ following intense criticism. The multiplayer browser game, which Biojout claimed was developed in a single weekend using AI coding tools, featured a setting modeled after the Tenderloin neighborhood in San Francisco.

Critics and city officials accused the game of trivializing San Francisco’s homelessness and drug addiction crises. The game’s imagery, which included depictions of individuals in postures reminiscent of fentanyl addiction, led San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie to condemn the project, calling it ‘horrible’ and stating it did not represent the city’s values.

Biojout issued a statement on X, admitting that the setting and promotion of the game showed ‘poor judgment.’ He stated that targeting people struggling with addiction or homelessness was never his intention. In addition to removing the game and promotional posts, Biojout announced he would refund all advertisers and make a personal donation to a drug treatment and recovery service matching the game’s advertising revenue.