San Francisco Tech Takes Down Zombie Video Game That Lets Players Kill Homeless People: ‘It Showed Poor Judgment’
A San Francisco technician removed a controversial video game that turned the Tenderloin neighborhood into a zombie killing zone after facing backlash over allegations it allowed players to target homeless people and drug addicts. Pierre-Louis Biojout, the creator of the free multiplayer browser game, announced Friday that he had removed the game.
“I built and published a zombie game set in the streets of San Francisco. The setting and manner in which I promoted it demonstrated poor judgment,” Biojout wrote on X. “Targeting people struggling with addiction or homelessness was never my intention,” he added.
Biojout also said it refunded all advertisers and made a personal donation to an addiction treatment and recovery service equal to the revenue generated by the game. “I removed the game and promotional posts, refunded all advertisers, and made a personal donation to Delancey Street Treatment and Recovery Services equal to the total revenue from the game,” it said.
According to a New York Post report, Biojout revealed the game on Tuesday, describing it as a “Call of Duty-style zombie shooter set on the real streets of SF.” He claimed to have built it in a single weekend using artificial intelligence (AI) coding tools. The developer had also said that the game generated $300 in ad revenue before the controversy arose.
Technician accused of turning crisis into entertainment
The game sparked widespread criticism on social media, with users accusing Biojout of turning San Francisco’s homeless and drug crisis into entertainment.
“You think you’re pissed but you’re just a huge asshole,” one user wrote.
“Bring back the shame. This is atrocious PR,” another commented.
This reaction also sparked criticism from elected officials. Bilal Mahmood, the San Francisco supervisor representing the Tenderloin neighborhood, condemned the game’s concept. “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 that uses AI agents to build and run online businesses, told the newspaper that he crosses the net twice a day to get to work. He said he saw the neighborhood’s “special atmosphere” as conducive to a zombie shooter.
(Also read: San Francisco Indian uses Claude to stay on video call 24/7 with his mother: ‘When she gets up at 3 a.m….’)
Reactions on social networks
Still, the decision to remove the game did not receive unanimous support online. Peter Kazanjy, founder of a San Francisco-based sales software company, defended Biojout and criticized those who called for the game’s removal.
“People who harass you have luxurious beliefs and should shut up and focus their energy on doing something rather than complaining about someone doing something. Your game was a fantastic satire,” Kazanjy commented.
“Seriously, the people shooting at you were more concerned about what was happening in a video game than in real life,” another user said.
“You made an awesome game! The fact that some people are more bothered by the game than the actual outbreak on the streets speaks volumes about their fucked up agenda. Never give in to adult baby tantrums!” one user commented.
Gn tech
