The Tetris Company has officially responded to the White House's recent release of arcade games that use the Tetris brand and promote a political agenda, including one titled "Build the Wall." In a statement posted to Instagram, the company emphasized its commitment to "connection and bringing people together, not dividing them."
A follow-up reply clarified that The Tetris Company was not involved in the creation of the controversial game. "We take copyright infringement very seriously," the company stated.
The White House arcade games, themed around the Trump administration's political agenda, included titles that encouraged users to build an immigration wall with Tetris blocks and depicted the arrest of virtual people of color crossing the border. While some games were simple imitations of classics like Flappy Bird and Snake, the marketing for the initiative made more direct references to gaming brands, such as the Nintendo GameCube logo.
This response marks a rare instance of a major gaming company publicly addressing the Trump administration's use of video game imagery to promote political causes. In the past, the White House has utilized branding from various franchises, including Halo and Pokémon, on social media without apparent legal challenges or public objections from the companies themselves. These companies have typically opted to distance themselves from such uses.
While The Tetris Company has indicated its stance on copyright infringement, it has not detailed any specific measures it plans to take regarding the "Build the Wall" game, which remains publicly accessible. If legal action is pursued, it would represent a significant step in the gaming industry pushing back against the White House's use of intellectual property for political marketing.