White House Pulls Tetris-Like Game After Copyright Warning

The White House has taken down its Tetris-like web game, "Wall," after a serious warning from the rights holder, and the original page now shows a 404 error, according to Jiemian News. The game was part of the White House's new "Arcade" platform, which launched earlier this month with five imitation arcade games designed to expose users to government policy content in a low-barrier format. "Wall" used block-stacking gameplay similar to Tetris, with players building a wall to stop a so-called "zombie border siege" at the "U.S. southern border." The wording drew accusations of racism and sparked controversy after launch. Jiemian News reported that The Tetris Company, LLC, which holds the global rights to Tetris, said on Instagram on September 4 that it had not participated in the game's production and had not authorized or licensed the use of its brand or intellectual property. Other games on the White House site remain accessible, including "Rio Run," a Snake-style game in which players control Tom Homan, the White House border affairs chief, and chase migrants of different skin tones. Jiemian News also noted that Trump has made immigration reform a priority since his first campaign, and that his administration has continued a hard-line immigration policy, including a November 12 directive requiring visa officers to assess whether applicants may rely on U.S. public benefits after entry.