Pierre-Louis Biojout, founder of the Y Combinator-backed AI startup NanoCorp, has faced significant backlash after releasing a web-based game titled "Tenderloin Night Shift." The game, described as a "Call of Duty style zombie shooter," was set in San Francisco's Tenderloin district, an area known for its struggles with homelessness and open drug use. Biojout initially posted on X, "San Francisco couldn't fix the Tenderloin. So I monetized it." He also noted that the game had already generated $300 from in-game advertisements.
Reports from the SF Chronicle and KRON4 news indicate that the game's characters included a "folded" fentanyl addict and a Black security guard. Jennifer Friedenbach, executive director of the SF Coalition on Homelessness, criticized the game, stating that Biojout was "monetizing the dehumanization and pretend killing for fun of mostly Black and Brown residents of the poorest neighborhood in San Francisco."
In correspondence with the Chronicle, Biojout claimed he did not intend to "provoke or to depict shooting real people," adding that tech workers were also included as characters. However, the game has since been removed from NanoCorp's website.
The controversy has continued to unfold online. One tech founder commented on X, "You made a game about shooting people in active addiction. These are human beings, not zombies. show me the positive side of this - i'm probably blind." Biojout responded by questioning the relevance of addiction, stating, "It's a zombie shooter."
While many condemned the game, some online users expressed support for Biojout's controversial premise. One user stated, "They are currently NOT human beings," while another commented they would "train in bro's game" to prepare for a visit to San Francisco. Despite Biojout's deleted X post, the discussions surrounding the game's portrayal of vulnerable populations persist.