Overview
- A web-based shooter called Tenderloin Night Shift created by Pierre-Louis Biojout used real Tenderloin imagery and invited players to shoot NPCs described by reporters as a folded fentanyl user and a Black security guard.
- Local reporting found the game included recognizable San Francisco markers such as Waymo cars and e-scooters and that Biojout promoted monetizing the project on social media.
- Mayor Daniel Lurie called the game horrific and Supervisor Bilal Mahmoud and advocacy groups said it dehumanized mostly Black and Brown residents and undermined efforts to revitalize the Tenderloin.
- In response to the outcry the creator removed the game and promotional posts, said he refunded advertisers, deleted his social post and reported making a personal donation while denying an intent to depict or target real people.
- The episode has raised questions about tech-industry tone and responsibility when hobby projects draw on visible poverty and addiction, and it could lead to closer scrutiny of how creators use real neighborhoods in commercial work.