The Tetris Company Distances Itself From White House 'Build the Wall' Game

The Tetris Company has issued a public statement distancing itself from a Tetris-inspired game released by the White House, reaffirming its values around inclusivity and unity.

The game in question, titled "Build the Wall," was launched as part of an arcade section on the White House website featuring reskinned versions of classic games including Flappy Bird and Snake. In Build the Wall, players stack tetrominoes to defend against zombies approaching the "Southern Border" rather than clearing lines as in traditional Tetris. The gameplay mechanics differ significantly from the original, with blocks remaining on screen instead of disappearing when rows are completed.

Responding to the appropriation of its intellectual property, The Tetris Company posted on Instagram: "At Tetris we believe in the power of connection and bringing people together, not dividing them. To our fans everywhere: we love you, we see you, and we're grateful to have you in our community." The statement included two postscripts clarifying that The Tetris Company was not involved in the game's creation and emphasizing that it "take[s] copyright infringement very seriously."

The White House arcade initiative has drawn criticism from multiple rights holders. Halo co-creator Marcus Lehto described the appropriation of his work as "absolutely abhorrent," while The Pokémon Company stated that "permission was not granted for the use of our intellectual property" in connection with a Department of Homeland Security Pokémon mashup released earlier.

The incident reflects a broader pattern of U.S. government agencies using video game intellectual property and gaming culture references for messaging purposes, including recruitment and policy promotion efforts.