DistantNews
Support us
🇲🇽 Mexico /Culture & Society

White House Removes Tetris-Style Game That Urged Players to Defend the Border From a “Horde”

From El Universal · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Outcome reported
  • The White House removed the Tetris-style game “Build the Wall” from its website after criticism of its border and immigration themes.
  • Tetris Company said it did not create, authorize, or license the game and said it was reviewing the matter.
  • The White House did not immediately explain the removal, while four other games remained available on the site.

The White House removed a Tetris-style game called “Build the Wall” from its website on Tuesday, four days after the company behind the classic game warned that it takes copyright violations seriously.

The block-stacking game asked players to “protect the border from an approaching horde.” It had appeared on the White House website alongside other games connected to President Donald Trump’s immigration policies, including deportations and construction of a border wall.

Tetris Company did not participate in the creation of ‘Build the Wall’ and did not authorize or license the Tetris trademark or intellectual property for the game.

· Tetris CompanyThe company denied involvement in or approval of the White House game.

The White House did not immediately respond to an AFP request for comment on why the title was removed. Tetris Company told AFP that it had played no role in creating the game and had not authorized or licensed the Tetris name or intellectual property.

“Tetris Company did not participate in the creation of ‘Build the Wall’ and did not authorize or license the Tetris trademark or intellectual property for the game,” the company said. It added that it was “currently reviewing the matter” when asked whether it might take legal action.

Currently reviewing the matter.

· Tetris CompanyThe company’s response to a question about whether it might pursue legal action.

The company also wrote on X: “At Tetris, we believe in the power to connect and bring people together, not divide them.” The game, launched on the White House site the previous Thursday, drew condemnation over what critics called racist themes and raised questions about copyright infringement.

The White House’s other four games remained available. One, “Rio Run,” resembles the old mobile game “Snake” and features an icon resembling Trump collecting people who crossed the Rio Grande at the border with Mexico before deporting them.

At Tetris, we believe in the power to connect and bring people together, not divide them.

· Tetris CompanyThe company criticized the divisive framing associated with the game in a post on X.
About this summary

Originally published by El Universal in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

More Stories

From Our Blog