Zombies Run Buyback Saved Runners From Losing Their Favorite App

Zombies Run Buyback Saved Runners From Losing Their Favorite App

Quick Reads

• Naomi Alderman bought back Zombies, Run! from blockchain firm OliveX in a high six-figure deal.
• The app had been pushed toward crypto and NFT features, clashing with the original creative team.
• Alderman also reclaimed The Walk, another fitness game she co-created.
• Marvel Move, however, is not included and will shut down in July 2026.
• Alderman promises new story content and calls the move a stand against “AI slop.”

Award-winning novelist Naomi Alderman reacquired the popular Zombies, Run! fitness app from OliveX in a high six-figure deal. This Zombies Run buyback has become one of mobile gaming’s biggest stories. Alderman created the smartphone fitness game with developer Six to Start in 2012. The app combined real-world running with immersive audio stories that motivated players.

The app later entered a difficult period. In 2025, Six to Start announced a “major restructure” that threatened Abel Township’s future. Furthermore, sources told The Verge the companies clashed over anti-capitalist themes and crypto-related plans. OliveX also pushed to introduce crypto and NFT elements into the game.

However, this Zombies Run buyback changed everything. “This isn’t a corporate acquisition; it’s me reclaiming the game I created and cherish so I can care for it,” Alderman declared on the Zombies, Run! website. Additionally, Alderman said she felt “delighted” to stop the app from becoming “AI slop.”

Consequently, Alderman now controls the app’s creative future. Both Zombies, Run! and The Walk returned to her in the high six-figure sale. However, Alderman did not acquire Six to Start itself. Meanwhile, Marvel Move will continue its planned shutdown through July 2026.

The app’s loyal community responded with enormous relief. Ever since its release, the title has surpassed 10 million downloads, and Alderman said the game has also supported millions on their fitness journeys, from ultramarathon training to cardiac rehab. Moreover, Alderman told The Verge she is working on a new story for Zombies, Run!, intended as a great on-ramp for new players or returning ones.

Alderman also told PC Gamer, “I think the best strategy in the age of AI is: bet on yourself, on what you can do uniquely, on your own weird.” That perspective seems to be driving this entire Zombies Run buyback effort. For millions of runners worldwide, the gates to Abel Township are firmly open again.