SF Tech Founder Slammed for Zombie Shooter Set in Tenderloin

Ever wonder how far 'vibe coding' can go before it crosses a line? For one San Francisco tech founder, that line was a zombie shooter set in the Tenderloin.

Pierre-Louis Biojout, founder of Y Combinator-backed AI startup NanoCorp, found himself in hot water this week after publishing Tenderloin Night Shift, a web-based game where players shoot 'zombies' in the real streets of SF's Tenderloin district—an area known for homelessness and open drug use. In a now-deleted X post on October 13, Biojout wrote: 'San Francisco couldn't fix the Tenderloin. So I monetized it [as a] Call of Duty style zombie shooter on the real SF streets.' He also noted he'd already made $300 from in-game ads.

The game drew swift criticism from residents and city leaders. According to reports from the SF Chronicle and KRON4, the 'zombies' included a 'folded' fentanyl addict and a Black security guard. Jennifer Friedenbach, executive director of the SF Coalition on Homelessness, told the Chronicle that Biojout was 'monetizing the dehumanization and pretend killing for fun of mostly Black and Brown residents of the poorest neighborhood in San Francisco.'

Biojout responded to the Chronicle, saying he had not intended to 'provoke or to depict shooting real people' and that the game also included tech workers as characters. Tenderloin Night Shift appears to have been removed from NanoCorp's website. But the discourse hasn't died down. Another tech founder commented: 'You made a game about shooting people in active addiction. These are human beings, not zombies. show me the positive side of this - i'm probably blind.' Biojout shot back: 'Why are you talking about addiction? It's a zombie shooter.'

Some commenters, however, expressed approval for the message Biojout has disavowed. 'They are currently NOT human beings,' said one user, while another said they'd 'train in bro's game' to prepare to visit San Francisco.

So what do you think? Is this just edgy satire or a step too far? Will you be checking out Tenderloin Night Shift (if it ever comes back)? Let us know in the comments.