Skip to content
Tech News
← Back to articles

The White House removed its border-wall Tetris clone

read original get Tetris Effect: Connected (Nintendo Switch) → more articles
Why This Matters

The White House pulled its Tetris-like 'Build the Wall' browser game after The Tetris Company publicly disavowed it and raised copyright concerns, showing that even a government publisher isn't immune to IP pushback. It also highlights how the administration's meme-style political minigames lean heavily on clones of well-known titles like Flappy Bird and Snake.

Key Takeaways
Worth a Look

Tetris Effect: Connected (Nintendo Switch) — If all this Tetris talk has you itching for the real thing, Tetris Effect: Connected is the officially licensed, mesmerizing version with pulsing music and visuals that react to every block you drop. It also leans into the co-op multiplayer side of Tetris, fitting the company's line about bringing people together.

See Tetris Effect: Connected (Nintendo Switch) on Amazon → Affiliate link — we may earn a commission on purchases, at no extra cost to you. Product picked by AI based on this article; it is not a tested recommendation.

The White House has removed Build the Wall, a browser-based game where you would stack bricks to build a wall along the US-Mexico border, from its online arcade. The game's removal appears to be in response to public pushback from The Tetris Company, which last week distanced itself from the project and pointed at copyright concerns, given Build the Wall's deliberate similarity to Tetris.

Build the Wall was one of several games the White House introduced on September 3, seemingly to chase the attention crude, policy-themed minigames could grab online. While Build the Wall wasn't the only game clearly ripping off an existing title — Flappy Bill is a clone of Flappy Bird and Rio Run is just Snake — it did stand out because of The Tetris Company's immediate negative response

P.S. The Tetris Company was not involved in the creation of 'Build the Wall'. P.P.S. We take copyright infringement very seriously. pic.twitter.com/Fu02khRpT3 — Tetris (@Tetris_Official) September 4, 2026

On September 4, the company posted on Instagram and X that it disagreed with the divisive rhetoric of Build the Wall and believes in "the power of connection and bringing people together." It also suggested that it "takes copyright infringement very seriously." In a further comment to Engadget, the company wouldn't commit to taking legal action, but did say that it was "reviewing the matter" to determine what other response was necessary. It's not clear what the company ultimately did, but it seems like even a moderate amount of public pushback got the White House to remove the game, a good lesson for the owner of whichever media property the Trump administration spoofs next.