Zombies, Run! Lives On: The App Isn’t Going Anywhere
▼ Summary
– Zombies, Run! creator Naomi Alderman has bought back the franchise after it faced potential shutdown earlier this year.
– The fitness app, founded in 2012 with 10 million users, immerses runners in a postapocalyptic audio story where zombies chase them.
– OliveX, which acquired developer Six to Start in 2021, laid off most staff in March 2025 and considered shutting down the game due to conflicts over themes and crypto projects.
– Alderman plans to resume production on Season 11 and create a new story to attract new and returning players.
– She confirmed she purchased only the Zombies, Run! and The Walk franchises, not Six to Start, and will focus on preserving the app and community experience.
Good news for runners who enjoy a good scare: the popular fitness app Zombies, Run! has been rescued from closure by its original creator, ensuring its unique blend of audio drama and exercise will continue. Earlier this year, the app’s future looked bleak, but co-creator and author Naomi Alderman has now purchased the franchise, securing its survival.
Launched back in 2012, Zombies, Run! quickly built a global community of around 10 million users. Developed by Six to Start, the app drops runners and walkers into an episodic narrative where they must evade virtual undead pursuers. Its success allowed the company to expand into other immersive fitness titles, such as Marvel Move, before Six to Start was acquired by OliveX in 2021.
The situation grew dire in March 2025 when OliveX dismissed nearly all Six to Start employees. Reports indicated the game would be terminated unless a new owner stepped forward. Sources revealed internal friction between the Six to Start team and OliveX, particularly over the games’ anti-capitalist themes and the parent company’s push toward cryptocurrency and NFT ventures. Users were subsequently notified that while the existing app and archives would stay online, production on new content was halted, casting a shadow of uncertainty over the entire project.
In a post on the game’s official website, Alderman expressed her joy at regaining control. She described the move not as a corporate acquisition but as a personal mission to reclaim and nurture a project she deeply cares about. She also shared the announcement via a Bluesky post to spread the word to the broader community.
Alderman provided further details in an interview, confirming that a brand-new story is in development. This new narrative is designed to serve as a perfect starting point for first-time players or a welcome return for lapsed users. Additionally, production will resume on Season 11, which was left unfinished on a significant cliffhanger, much to the relief of dedicated fans.
It’s important to note that Alderman has purchased the Zombies, Run! franchise and The Walk, another fitness game she helped create, but not the entire Six to Start company. She also addressed the status of Marvel Move, clarifying that its discontinuation was already planned, with support continuing until the final annual subscriptions conclude in July of next year.
Looking ahead, Alderman’s primary goal is to preserve the distinctive experience that players love. She plans to engage with the community soon to share further updates, emphasizing that the app’s survival is a direct result of its dedicated community, which has supported it since its initial Kickstarter campaign. She affirmed that together, they will keep the adventure shambling forward.
(Source: The Verge)