The Tetris Company Blasts White House Over 'Build the Wall' Clone

The White House has drawn fire from the gaming community and intellectual property holders after launching an online 'arcade' featuring games that appear to be blatant clones of classic titles, one of which directly promotes an anti-immigration agenda. The Tetris Company, the entity behind the iconic puzzle game, quickly distanced itself from the administration's 'Build the Wall' game, emphasizing its core values and warning of potential copyright infringement.

On Thursday, September 3, 2026, the White House unveiled 'Arcade.gov,' a new section of its official website housing several web-based games. Among these was 'Build the Wall,' a game functionally identical to Tetris. Players are instructed to 'protect the border from the coming horde' by stacking blocks to fend off zombie-like figures, which are depicted as people entering the U.S. illegally from Mexico. The arcade also includes 'Flappy Bill,' a clone of 'Flappy Bird,' and a 'Snake' clone focused on Immigration and Customs Enforcement, according to PC Gamer.

What did The Tetris Company say?

Just a day after the launch, on September 4, 2026, The Tetris Company released a pointed statement across its official Instagram and X accounts. The company declared, "At Tetris, we believe in the power of connection and bringing people together, not dividing them." They explicitly clarified, "P.S. The Tetris Company was not involved in the creation of 'Build the Wall,'" and added a stern warning: "P.P.S. We take copyright infringement very seriously." A representative later confirmed to AFP that the company "did not authorise or license the Tetris brand or intellectual property for the game" and is "currently reviewing the matter."

What is the White House's justification?

Responding to AFP on September 3, 2026, a White House official stated, "This administration is laser focused on ways to innovate and tell the story of the President's many accomplishments in a way that resonates with every American." The games are perceived by some outlets, including PC Gamer, as a tool for disseminating pro-Trump, anti-immigration messages.

What are the broader concerns?

The White House's new games have sparked criticism beyond intellectual property issues. Amerika Garcia Grewal, co-director of the Frontera Federation in Eagle Pass, Texas, told AFP, "Makes me sick. They've been playing games with people's lives for years, now they've made a video game of what they're doing." Grewal emphasized, "There's no attention paid to the quality of life for human beings, both those in their game or those in real life," and highlighted that "We who live in the borderlands are US citizens and yet are treated with suspicion and violence." Duke University School of Law professor Christopher Buccafusco added that "It's pretty clear to me that some of these games tread pretty closely to the intellectual property rights of famous video game companies."

This incident is not an isolated one for the Trump administration, which has a documented history of using copyrighted material without explicit permission. Previous instances include the use of AI edits of Persona 5, Halo ads for ICE, and a MAGA remix of the Pokémon theme song, according to Kotaku. Halo co-creator Marcus Lehto previously called the appropriation of his work "absolutely abhorrent," as reported by PC Gamer. In March 2026, The Pokémon Company spokeswoman Sravanthi Dev stated they were "not involved in its creation or distribution, and no permission was granted for the use of our intellectual property" regarding prior White House social content. Japan also reportedly asked the U.S. in March 2026 to cease using Nintendo IPs like Mario and Pokémon in social media posts. Furthermore, numerous musical artists have issued DMCA takedowns or cease-and-desist orders over the years for unauthorized use of their songs at rallies or in campaign media.