Ethan Carter
Recently, the White House introduced a new government platform, Arcade.gov, featuring five online games designed to support President Trump’s policies. Following allegations of racism and hints of possible legal repercussions, only four of these games remain on the site.
Notably, the game “Build the Wall,” a Tetris-inspired variant promoting anti-immigrant sentiments and challenging players to “defend the border from an impending invasion,” has been removed from Arcade.gov.
The White House launched the arcade site last Thursday, utilizing a series of social media videos that parodied classic gaming console startup screens from iconic brands like Nintendo and Sega. All five games available were similar to popular titles such as Flappy Bird.
“Build the Wall” drew significant criticism due to its overtly anti-immigrant messaging.
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Just a day after the launch, the Tetris team publicly distanced itself from the game and hinted at possible legal action.
“At Tetris, we champion the power of connection and unity, not division,” the company stated in a message shared on its official social media channels. “To all our fans around the globe: we cherish you, we recognize you, and we’re thankful to have you in our community.”
“P.S. The Tetris Company was not involved in the creation of ‘Build the Wall’,” the statement added. “P.P.S. We take copyright infringement very seriously.”
It remains uncertain if The Tetris Company pursued any formal action against the White House’s unauthorized puzzle game. it appears that the legal threat was enough to prompt the Trump administration to pull the game from the site.
Daniel Mercer
Brandon Fletcher
