An arcade game resembling Tetris is no longer available on the White House's recently launched retro-style video game hub after the company behind the longstanding gaming title warned of possible legal action.
The Build the Wall game, which appeared when the White House launched its online arcade Sept. 3
, was no longer available on the government's website as of Sept. 10. However, CNN and NBC News reported that the game had been gone as recently as Sept. 9.The controversial game involves players stacking falling bricks to build a wall to stop migrants from crossing the U.S. southern border, borrowing gameplay mechanics closely associated with the arcade game Tetris. Its removal follows a statement The Tetris Company posted on social media Sept.
4, assuring that it had no involvement with the project.
"At Tetris, we believe in the power of connection and bringing people together, not dividing them," the company wrote.
The company added: "P.P.S. We take copyright infringement very seriously."
As of Sept. 10, the White House has not publicly disclosed why the game was removed. Tetris' reps told CNN that it had "no comment" on the Build the Wall game's removal.
USA TODAY contacted the White House and The Tetris Company for comment, but has not received a response.
Latest company to distance itself from White House digital content
The Tetris dispute is the latest example of a company publicly objecting to the Trump administration's use of entertainment brands and copyrighted material in its online messaging.
Time Magazine reported The Pokémon Company previously said it did not authorize the White House's use of Pokémon imagery. Musicians, including Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo and Sabrina Carpenter, have also publicly criticized or objected to the administration's use of their music in social media posts.
The White House has also released videos modeled after franchises, including The Legend of Zelda, in promotional clips for the arcade, and it even referenced gaming brands such as Sega and Microsoft's Xbox. Neither company has publicly commented.
Other White House Arcade games remain online
Although "Build the Wall" has been removed, the rest of the White House Arcade remains available.
Games still featured include Rio Run, an immigration-themed game modeled after Snake; Trump Savings Tycoon, promoting the administration's children's savings account program; Flappy Bill, in which players guide a bald eagle carrying legislation; and Supply Line, based on the administration's "Make America Healthy Again" initiative.
When the arcade launched, the White House described it as an effort to communicate the administration's agenda in a new way.
"This administration is laser focused on ways to innovate and tell the story of the President's many accomplishments in a way that resonates with every American," the White House said in a statement provided to Time.
Deputy Assistant to the President Kaelan Dorr also described the games as "policy you can interact with" in a Sept. 3 X post.
Contributing: USA TODAY reporter Saman Shafiq and C.A. Bridges
Reporter Anthony Thompson can be reached at ajthompson@usatodayco.com or on X @athompsonUSAT
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: This game is no longer available to play on new White House Arcade
