The developer of a zombie game set in San Francisco has taken down the game and issued a public apology after city officials condemned the title for depicting its citizens as zombies.

Controversial Setting and Development

Tenderloin Night Shift was a first-person shooter created by independent developer Pierre-Louis Biojout over the course of a weekend using OpenAI’s Codex. The game takes place in San Francisco’s Tenderloin neighborhood, an area known for high crime rates and an unhoused population.

In the game, players use a gun to rid the Tenderloin of enemies. Some undead characters wore construction uniforms, food delivery backpacks, or were depicted in positions associated with fentanyl use.

Biojout sold digital ad space for $100 per week within his polygonal recreation of the neighborhood, featuring real-world companies on billboards.

City Officials Condemn the Title

San Francisco city officials quickly condemned the title. Mayor Daniel Lurie stated that the project did not speak for San Francisco values and rejected the idea.

Supervisor Bilal Mahmood, who represents the Tenderloin, described the game as deeply disturbing and unacceptable.

Mahmood stated that turning violence against real people, including unhoused individuals, into entertainment is dehumanizing and should not be normalized.

Apology and Removal

Following the backlash, Biojout removed the game from his online platform and issued a public apology. He explained that the project was inspired by an Alcatraz-themed Call of Duty map.

Biojout stated that the game was not intended to provoke or depict shooting real people, noting that its characters drew on a broad cross-section of San Francisco backgrounds.

He reiterated that the project was not created to target any particular demographic or group.

Donations and Refunds

Biojout refunded advertisers, removed related social media posts, and donated the game’s total revenue to the Delancey Street Foundation, a San Francisco-based nonprofit that provides rehabilitation services.

Biojout acknowledged that the setting and promotion showed poor judgment and that targeting people struggling with addiction or homelessness was never his intention.

The game was originally hosted on a platform running online businesses using AI agents, but the page has been completely removed.

Image Credits: plbiojout