The Tetris Company says it had no role in creating Build the Wall: Zombie Border Siege, a Tetris-style game included in the White House Arcade. In a statement reported by PC Gamer, the company said it believes in “the power of connection and bringing people together, not dividing them.”
The message then made two separate points: The Tetris Company was not involved in creating Build the Wall, and “we take copyright infringement very seriously.” The supplied reporting does not establish that the company has filed a lawsuit, sent a legal demand or obtained a takedown.
Read The Tetris Company’s linked Instagram statement. The post may require access to Instagram and is presented as the company’s statement, not as independent confirmation of legal action.
The Tetris Company disclaims involvement in Build the Wall
The statement followed the White House’s launch of an online arcade containing government-themed versions of familiar games. The Tetris-inspired entry was identified as Build the Wall: Zombie Border Siege, rather than as an official Tetris release. The company’s clarification separates its role from the game’s use of a recognizable puzzle format.
The company also placed the clarification in a broader message about connection and community. That wording expresses a position about the brand’s values, while the copyright warning addresses the use of intellectual property. Neither statement, on its own, specifies what action the company may take next.
What the White House Arcade’s Tetris clone depicts
According to PC Gamer’s description of the White House Arcade, the game uses falling tetrominoes in a scenario framed as a zombie siege at the “Southern Border.” Players stack the pieces to form a wall while zombie-like enemies move along the bottom of the play area.
The reported design differs from standard Tetris in a central way: completed lines do not disappear. They remain in the stack, so the playfield continues to fill even after rows are completed. The description also says that enemies can get past the wall if it is not built high enough.
Those details support a careful distinction between the game’s mechanics, its political framing and The Tetris Company’s participation. The available evidence describes the first two, while the company explicitly says it was not involved in creating the third.
This is part of a broader pattern of videogame appropriation
The White House Arcade is part of a wider series of government messages that have repurposed recognizable videogame imagery, language or formats. The examples below belong together because they place entertainment properties in official political, immigration or military messaging. They should not be treated as identical disputes, however, because the reported responses differ.
| Property | Documented use | Reported response |
|---|---|---|
| Tetris | The White House Arcade included Build the Wall: Zombie Border Siege, a Tetris-style border game. | The Tetris Company said it was not involved and takes copyright infringement seriously. |
| Pokémon | The Department of Homeland Security and Customs and Border Protection used Pokémon imagery and language in immigration-related messaging. | The Pokémon Company said permission was not granted and that it was not involved in creating or distributing the content. |
| Halo | The White House used an image of Donald Trump as Master Chief, followed by a DHS “Destroy the Flood” recruitment reference. | Halo co-creator Marcus Lehto called the appropriation “absolutely abhorrent,” according to PC Gamer’s report. |
| Call of Duty and Grand Theft Auto | White House posts used Call of Duty footage and a Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas clip in posts promoting military action against Iran. | The supplied report documents the posts, but not an equivalent rights-holder statement. |
The common thread is the use of familiar game properties to make official messages more recognizable online. That context helps explain why the Tetris statement matters without suggesting that every example has produced the same copyright dispute or public response.
What the documented responses do—and do not—establish
- Tetris: The company says it did not help create Build the Wall and says it takes copyright infringement seriously. The supplied material does not confirm litigation, a takedown request or another legal step.
- Pokémon: The Pokémon Company said the government content was not created or distributed with its involvement and that permission was not granted. The reporting does not establish the outcome of any enforcement effort.
- Halo: Marcus Lehto’s reported condemnation is a reaction from a franchise co-creator. It should not be presented as a statement from every rights holder connected to Halo.
- Call of Duty and Grand Theft Auto: The supplied reporting documents the White House posts but does not provide a comparable response from the owners of those properties.
The useful conclusion is narrower than a prediction about what happens next. Government use of a game’s characters, visual language or mechanics does not automatically make the rights holder an official participant. Attribution, permission and legal consequences are separate questions.
For now, The Tetris Company has answered the attribution question clearly: it was not involved in creating Build the Wall. Its copyright warning signals concern, but the supplied evidence does not show whether that concern will lead to further action.
Source: PC Gamer’s report on The Tetris Company’s statement.
