Tech founder vibe codes game about shooting ‘zombies’ in San Francisco’s poorest neighborhood
Y Combinator-backed AI startup founder Pierre-Louis Biojout released a web-based shooter game called Tenderloin Night Shift over a weekend, sparking immediate backlash from San Francisco residents and city leaders. The game, styled as a Call of Duty-inspired shooter, featured players shooting “zombies” in the city’s Tenderloin district, a neighborhood known for high rates of homelessness and open drug use.
Biojout promoted the game on X (formerly Twitter) on October 13, stating “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 noted the game had generated $300 in revenue from in-game advertisements.
The project was quickly removed following widespread criticism from the community and city officials who objected to the game’s depiction of a real neighborhood struggling with serious social issues. The incident highlighted tensions between tech industry figures and San Francisco residents over the treatment of the city’s socioeconomic challenges.