A game labelled Build the Wall has appeared in an online arcade added to the White House website. The title closely resembles Tetris, using a political theme and what appears to be a fan-made or AI-assisted recreation of the classic block-stacking formula.
The Tetris Company, jointly owned by creator Alexey Pajitnov and businessman Henk Rogers, has publicly distanced itself from the game and signalled that unauthorised use of its intellectual property could have legal consequences.
In a September 4 Instagram post, the company wrote on Instagram: “At Tetris we believe in the power of connection and bringing people together, not dividing them.” It also addressed its fans, saying it loved and valued its worldwide community.
The company added a comment beneath the post: “The Tetris Company was not involved in the creation of ‘Build the Wall.’” It followed that clarification with a direct warning: “We take copyright infringement very seriously.” Many commenters subsequently urged the company to take legal action against the Trump administration.
If Pajitnov and Rogers were to pursue the matter, it would represent the first known case of a video game company taking action against the White House over unauthorised use of copyrighted game material in political memes or online messaging.
The incident follows several other uses of game and anime imagery by presidential staff. Earlier posts included AI-altered Persona 5 material, Halo-themed advertisements for ICE and a pro-Trump remix of the Pokémon theme song.
The Pokémon Company previously issued its own statement in March after imagery connected with its brand appeared in political content. Spokeswoman Sravanthi Dev said the company had not helped create or distribute the material, had granted no permission for its intellectual property to be used, and that its mission to bring people together was not linked to any political viewpoint or agenda.
Six months later, no legal action had been reported over those earlier uses. Japanese officials were also reportedly lobbying behind the scenes in an effort to persuade Trump’s team to stop using video game and anime material in social media posts.
For more coverage of game-related industry developments, visit RETROCADE’s arcade news. Readers interested in the hardware behind classic video games can also browse arcade machines or compare options in the arcade machine buying guide.
Leave a Reply