SF leaders slam video game where players shoot Tenderloin ‘zombies’

Key Points:

• San Francisco leaders and community members condemned the new browser-based zombie shooter game "Tenderloin Night Shift" for depicting a digital version of the Tenderloin neighborhood with targets resembling homeless and addicted residents, calling it dehumanizing and unacceptable.
• The game, created by developer Pierre-Louis Biojout, features recognizable Tenderloin streets and characters that critics say evoke real vulnerable populations, sparking outrage from local officials, homeless advocates, and residents who view it as promoting violence and vigilantism.
• Biojout defended the game as fictional and not intended to depict real people or promote violence, stating it was inspired by the neighborhood's atmosphere and built quickly using AI tools; he also monetizes the game through in-game ads and promoted it on X, drawing significant attention.
• Critics, including former Tenderloin Supervisor Dean Preston and homeless coalition leaders, urged city officials to condemn the game and investigate potential legal violations, emphasizing that it exacerbates harmful public discourse amid the city's homelessness and drug crises.
• The controversy has sparked mixed reactions online, with some users expressing enthusiasm for the game while many others denounce it as offensive and harmful, highlighting tensions surrounding portrayals of marginalized communities in media and gaming.