NanoCorp founder faces criticism over San Francisco zombie shooter
Pierre-Louis Biojout, founder of Y Combinator-backed NanoCorp, drew criticism after publishing Tenderloin Night Shift, a free zombie shooter set in San Francisco's Tenderloin district.
Pierre-Louis Biojout, founder of the Y Combinator-backed AI startup NanoCorp, has faced criticism from San Francisco residents and leaders after publishing a free web-based zombie shooter called Tenderloin Night Shift. The game, which appears to have been removed from NanoCorp's website, is set in San Francisco's Tenderloin district.
Biojout described Tenderloin Night Shift as a Call of Duty style zombie shooter set on real San Francisco streets. In a now-deleted X post on October 13, he said he had made $300 from in-game ads. He added that he did not intend to provoke or depict the shooting of real people, and that the game also included tech workers as characters.
According to the San Francisco Chronicle and KRON4, the game's zombies included a folded fentanyl addict and a Black security guard. Jennifer Friedenbach, executive director of the SF Coalition on Homelessness, criticized Biojout for monetizing what she described as the dehumanization and pretend killing of mostly Black and Brown residents.
Biojout created the project as a weekend vibe coding exercise.
Quick answers
What is Tenderloin Night Shift?
It is a free web-based zombie shooter created by NanoCorp founder Pierre-Louis Biojout, set in San Francisco's Tenderloin district. It appears to have been removed from NanoCorp's website.
Why did the game draw criticism?
According to the San Francisco Chronicle and KRON4, the game's zombies included a folded fentanyl addict and a Black security guard. Jennifer Friedenbach of the SF Coalition on Homelessness criticized Biojout for monetizing the dehumanization and pretend killing of mostly Black and Brown residents.
What did Biojout say about the game?
Biojout said he did not intend to provoke or depict shooting real people and that the game also included tech workers as characters. In a now-deleted X post on October 13, he said he had made $300 from in-game ads.