White House Pulls Border-Themed Video Game After Pushback From Tetris

The White House has taken down a puzzle title called "Build the Wall" from its online collection after the creators of Tetris raised concerns over intellectual property.

The block-stacking release, also titled Build the Wall: Zombie Border Siege, asked users to "hold the line" against a "zombie border siege" by placing bricks to stop people from crossing into the country. The game was part of a series of browser-based titles inspired by President Donald Trump's political platforms.

The Tetris Company spoke out on social media to clarify its lack of involvement, writing:

"At Tetris we believe in the power of connection and building 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 firm added that it was "not involved in the creation" of the software and noted it took "copyright infringement very seriously."

Archives show that the game remained online through Monday afternoon before disappearing by Tuesday. The administration previously successfully resolved a 2012 dispute over an iPhone clone called Mino that copied its look and feel.

While the puzzle game is gone, other political parodies remain playable on the site. These include "Flappy Bill," which features a flying bald eagle dodging Washington landmarks, and "Rio Run," a Snake-style game where users play as Border Patrol agents along the southern border. In Rio Run, players attempt to "patrol the line along the river" and "pick up every crosser," tracking their tally through a "Deported" score counter.

To promote the arcade section, official government accounts shared media altering recognizable gaming branding, including a video twisting Sega's intro to spell "MAGA," a clip featuring Nintendo's GameCube opening, and a post mimicking "The Legend of Zelda" using the text "The Legend of Trump" and "Make America Great Again."

The gaming push sparked political backlash, with Connecticut Democratic State Senator Matt Lesser writing online:

"Heating oil is near an all-time high but hey you can play Border Tsar Tom Homan in a video game".

The move marks the latest attempt by administration officials to incorporate popular digital media into public messaging. 

Representatives previously defended these strategies, stating:

"We will 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. DHS remains laser focused on bringing awareness to the flood of crime that criminal illegal aliens have inflicted on our country. We aren't slowing down."

Similar uses of pop culture have prompted complaints from rightsholders and public figures. Master Chief voice actor Steve Downes asked "the producers of this disgusting and juvenile war porn" to remove his audio from a military video clip, while singer Sabrina Carpenter condemned the usage of her music in a deportation video, calling it "evil and disgusting" and stating, "Do not ever involve me or my music to benefit your inhumane agenda." 

Children's publisher Kids Can Press similarly issued a statement noting they "strongly condemn any denigrating, violent, or unauthorized use of Franklin’s name or image" after an image depicted Franklin the Turtle firing a weapon.