White House pulls game after copyright complaint

An arcade game that critics likened to a racist take on Tetris has vanished from the White House's website after the Tetris Company flagged copyright concerns. The page for "Build the Wall," which instructed players to construct a barrier against a "zombie border siege," now returns a 404 error. Kotaku first spotted the takedown.

A game that drew swift backlash

The White House had recently posted a handful of arcade-style video games to its website. Among them was "Build the Wall," which mirrored Tetris's block-stacking gameplay. But unlike the original, its objective was to stack blocks into a wall to repel a "zombie border siege." Critics widely labeled the game racist, and it was not long before the Tetris Company, which owns the rights to the original Tetris, weighed in.

The Tetris Company clarified that it had no part in the creation of the game. "The Tetris Company was not involved in the creation of 'Build the Wall,'" it said in an Instagram post, adding: "We take copyright infringement very seriously."

"The Tetris Company was not involved in the creation of 'Build the Wall.'"

— The Tetris Company, in an Instagram post

404 on the White House page

By the time Kotaku checked, the page for "Build the Wall" on the White House's website was no longer accessible, returning a 404 error. TechCrunch has reached out to the Trump administration for comment, but no response has been reported yet.

The game's removal follows public criticism that it promoted racist themes through its gameplay. The "zombie border siege" framing drew particular ire, with observers noting the dehumanizing portrayal of immigrants.

Another game still up

Even with "Build the Wall" gone, visitors to the White House website can still find a game called "Rio Run." That game puts players in control of a white male character tasked with deporting as many immigrant characters as possible. It remains visible on the government's site.

The presence of these games on an official government website has raised questions about the appropriateness of such content in that context. The White House has not commented publicly beyond the takedown.

What this means for players

For now, anyone who wants to play "Build the Wall" will find a dead link. The Tetris Company's complaint appears to have prompted the removal, but it's unclear whether further action will follow. TechCrunch's request for comment from the administration went unanswered as of press time.

The episode underscores the tension between political messaging and intellectual property rights — and the potential for games to become flashpoints when they touch on charged topics. For players, the takeaway is that even official-looking games can be pulled quickly if they spark legal or public backlash.