Tetris distances itself from controversial White House 'arcade' games
The Tetris Company has publicly distanced itself from a new White House online arcade, stating they did not authorize the use of their intellectual property. The arcade games have faced criticism for their themes and potential copyright infringement.
Why it matters
This raises questions about the intersection of government digital communications, copyright law, and political messaging.
Tetris said on Friday (September 3, 2026) that it did not give permission for the White House to use the game's iconic imagery for a controversial online arcade that the U.S. President Donald Trump administration released on Thursday (September 4, 2026).
"The Tetris Company was not involved in the creation of 'Build the Wall' and did not authorize or license the Tetris brand or intellectual property for the game," Tetris told AFP in a statement.
"We are currently reviewing the matter," the statement continued.
A block-stacking game called Build the Wall included instructions to "protect the border from the coming horde".
The arcade-style games and promotional content used by the Trump administration contain images that resemble games created by Tetris and other major game developers including Sega, Microsoft-owned Xbox and the Flappy Bird Foundation.
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