Trump White House's 'Build the Wall' Tetris Clone Vanishes After Copyright Warning
A controversial Tetris clone from the Trump White House has been pulled offline just days after its debut. Per IGN, the game 'Build the Wall' disappeared from the Arcade.Gov website less than a week after launch, while four other promotional games remain.
The game, which tasked players with stacking blocks to repel what it called 'the incoming horde,' was reportedly impossible to win, as blocks would just pile up until a game over screen appeared. PC Gamer notes the game's messaging explicitly stoked fears about immigration.
Its removal follows a public statement from The Tetris Company. As reported by IGN and PC Gamer, the company declared it was not involved with the game and emphasized its belief in games uniting people rather than splitting them apart. The statement included a line noting the company takes copyright infringement 'very seriously,' though it did not detail any specific legal plans.
Rock Paper Shotgun reports the game was replaced by a 404 error page. Its absence was first spotted by This Week in Video Games.
The takedown coincides with broader scrutiny over the White House's use of gaming iconography. PC Gamer points out that other companies, like The Pokémon Company, have also objected to their IP being used in official social media posts, but The Tetris Company's public, pointed response is unique.
