Zombies, Run! is back from the dead. Co-creator Naomi Alderman just bought back the beloved fitness app that nearly died earlier this year when parent company OliveX laid off almost the entire Six to Start team. The rescue means 10 million users won't lose their post-apocalyptic running companion after all.
The fitness gaming world just dodged a bullet. Zombies, Run!, the cult favorite app that turns your morning jog into a zombie apocalypse survival story, is officially back in the hands of its creator after a near-death experience that would make even the undead jealous.
Naomi Alderman, who co-created the immersive fitness game in 2012, announced she's bought back the franchise from OliveX, the company that nearly killed it off earlier this year. "This isn't a big corporate takeover, it's me buying back the game I made and love so I can look after it," Alderman wrote in a statement on the game's website.
The rescue comes after a tumultuous year for Six to Start, the UK studio behind the app. When OliveX laid off all but two staff members in March, it looked like the 10 million-strong community of runners would lose their favorite zombie-dodging companion forever.
The tensions between Six to Start and OliveX, which is owned by Animoca Brands, ran deeper than just budget cuts. Sources told The Verge that the companies clashed over the game's anti-capitalist themes and OliveX's push to add crypto and NFT elements.
Zombies, Run! carved out a unique niche in fitness tech by combining audio storytelling with exercise motivation. Users slip on headphones and suddenly they're not just going for a run - they're a survivor in Abel Township, collecting supplies while undead hordes chase them down country lanes and city streets. The app tracks your pace and location, weaving your real workout into an episodic narrative that's kept players hooked for over a decade.
"We're working on a new story for Zombies, Run!, which I'm intending to be a great 'on-ramp' for new players or people who want to come back to the game after a break," Alderman told The Verge. "We'll also resume production on Season 11, which was paused halfway through - a very long cliffhanger to wait through!"
The buyback specifically covers the Zombies, Run! franchise plus , another immersive fitness game from Alderman's portfolio. However, , Six to Start's superhero-themed fitness app, won't make the transition. That app was already sunsetting and will shut down when the last annual subscriptions expire in July 2026.
