A San Francisco techie has taken down a controversial video game that turned the city’s Tenderloin neighbourhood into a zombie-killing zone after facing backlash over allegations that it allowed players to target homeless people and drug users. Pierre-Louis Biojout, the creator of the free multiplayer browser game, announced on Friday that he took the game down.
“I built and posted a zombie game set on San Francisco streets. The setting and the way I promoted it showed poor judgment,” Biojout wrote on X. “Targeting people struggling with addiction or homelessness was never my intention,” he added.
Biojout also said that he refunded all advertisers and made a personal donation to a drug treatment and recovery service equivalent to the revenue generated by the game. “I’ve taken the game and promotional posts down, refunded all advertisers, and made a personal donation to treatment and recovery services by Delancey Street equal to the game’s total revenue,” he said.
According to a report by the New York Post, Biojout had unveiled the game on Tuesday, describing it as a “Call of Duty-style zombie shooter on the real SF streets”. He claimed to have built it in just one weekend using artificial intelligence (AI) coding tools. The developer had also said that the game had generated $300 in advertising revenue before the controversy erupted.
Techie accused of turning crisis into entertainment
{{/usCountry}}According to a report by the New York Post, Biojout had unveiled the game on Tuesday, describing it as a “Call of Duty-style zombie shooter on the real SF streets”. He claimed to have built it in just one weekend using artificial intelligence (AI) coding tools. The developer had also said that the game had generated $300 in advertising revenue before the controversy erupted.
Techie accused of turning crisis into entertainment
{{/usCountry}}The game drew widespread criticism on social media, with users accusing Biojout of turning San Francisco’s homelessness and drug addiction crisis into entertainment.
“You think you’re being edgy but you’re just a huge piece of s–t,” one user wrote.
“Bring back shame. This is atrocious PR,” another commented.
The backlash also drew criticism from elected officials. Bilal Mahmood, the San Francisco supervisor representing the Tenderloin neighbourhood, condemned the concept of the game. “Turning violence against real people, including unhoused people, into entertainment is dehumanizing and should never be normalized,” Mahmood told the San Francisco Chronicle.
Biojout, who founded NanoCorp, a company that markets a platform using AI agents to build and operate online businesses, told the newspaper that he walks through the Tenderloin twice a day on his way to work. He said he had viewed the neighbourhood’s “distinctive atmosphere” as suitable for a zombie-shooter game.
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Social media reactions
Still, the decision to remove the game did not receive unanimous support online. Peter Kazanjy, the founder of a San Francisco-based sales software company, defended Biojout and criticised those who had called for the game to be taken down.
“The people b****ing at you have luxury beliefs and should shut the f*** up and put their energy into actually doing something versus whining at someone doing something. Your game was fantastic satire,” Kazanjy commented.
“Seriously the people taking shots at you were more concerned about what happens in a video game than in real life,” said another user.
“You made a great game! The fact some people are more bothered by the game than the actual epidemic on the streets speaks volumes on their screwed up agenda. Never give in to temper tantrums from grown ass babies!” commented one user.