The White House has removed Build The Wall, a controversial Tetris-style game from its virtual arcade, after facing criticism from the gaming community.
The arcade recently launched several political mini-games modeled after retro titles, including Trump Saving Tycoon, inspired by Duck Hunt, and Supply Line, which promoted aspects of President Donald Trump’s agenda.
Other additions proved especially divisive. Build The Wall encouraged players to construct barriers and “protect the border from the coming horde,” while the Snake-inspired Rio Run asked players to patrol the river border and collect everyone attempting to cross.
After the game drew criticism from gaming accounts, The Tetris Company issued a statement confirming that it had no connection to the White House project. “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 company wrote on Instagram. “We take copyright infringement very seriously.”
Build The Wall has since disappeared from the White House website without an explanation. The controversy has also raised concerns about the administration’s use of intellectual property associated with Nintendo, PlayStation, Sega and Microsoft. On September 9, the White House’s official X account promoted a The Legend of Zelda parody featuring Trump. One user responded: “Please Nintendo, the most anti-fan, litigious game company of all time, if you’re going to sue someone, sue these bozos.”
A White House official defended the arcade to The Washington Examiner: “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 official added, “This is an effort to further contrast between a culture of fun and winning and the dark socialist vision Democrats have for America.”
