The Tetris Company has publicly distanced itself from a Tetris clone that appeared on the White House's website, saying it played no part in making the game and that it opposes the message the game carries.
According to VGC, the White House recently launched an Arcade section on its site filled with low-budget knock-offs of well-known games, all built to promote the Trump administration's policies. One of them, called Build the Wall, swaps out Tetris's usual goal of clearing lines for stacking tetrominoes ever higher into a wall. The stated aim is to hold back what the game calls a "coming horde," represented by zombies marching toward a barrier labeled "Southern Border."
What The Tetris Company Said
The Tetris Company responded on its official Instagram and X accounts. "At Tetris we believe in the power of connection and bringing people together, not dividing them," the statement read. "To our fans everywhere: we love you, we see you, and we're grateful to have you in our community."
It followed that with two blunt clarifications: "P.S. The Tetris Company was not involved in the creation of 'Build the Wall'." And: "P.P.S. We take copyright infringement very seriously."
Both VGC and PC Gamer describe Build the Wall as one of several imitations on the page. VGC reports the arcade also includes Flappy Bill, a Flappy Bird clone where players steer a bald eagle down the National Mall, and Supply Line, a game about sorting school lunches to "Make America Healthy Again." Another game, Rio Run, is described by VGC as a Snake clone in which players "patrol the line along the river," collect immigrants shown in orange jumpsuits, and see a deportation tally on the game over screen.
Not the First Complaint
The Tetris Company joins a growing list of creators objecting to their work being used in government messaging. VGC notes that Steve Downes, the voice of Halo's Master Chief, demanded the White House remove his voice from a propaganda clip about the Iran war, writing that he "did not participate in nor was consulted, nor do I endorse the use of my voice in this video."
Halo co-creator Marcus Lehto and designer Jaime Griesemer both condemned an ICE recruitment post that paired Halo imagery with a call to "destroy the Flood." Griesemer wrote that "the Flood are evil space zombie parasites and are not an allegory to any group of people." The Pokémon Company, meanwhile, stated that permission was not granted for the use of its anime theme song in a Department of Homeland Security post captioned "gotta catch 'em all."
VGC reports that DHS previously told journalist Alyssa Mercante it had no plans to stop, saying it would "reach people where they are with content they can relate to and understand, whether that be Halo, Pokémon, Lord of the Rings or any other medium."
There is no word from either outlet on whether The Tetris Company intends to take legal action beyond its stated stance on copyright.
For players, this is less a release story than a reminder of how far familiar game brands can travel without their owners' consent. If you follow the official Tetris line of games, the company's message is that these knock-offs are not part of its catalog, and rights holders like The Pokémon Company and Halo's creators are drawing the same line.