The White House Arcade Removed Build the Wall Days After The Tetris Company’s Copyright Warning
A September 7 Wayback Machine snapshot still showed the game at around 9 p.m. ET, while its exact removal time remains unknown.
The White House Arcade has removed Build the Wall, its Tetris-style game, from the collection. The disappearance was noticed on September 8, only days after The Tetris Company said it was not involved in the project and that it takes copyright infringement very seriously.
The game was still visible in an Internet Archive Wayback Machine snapshot from around 9 p.m. ET on September 7. Its exact removal time is unknown, and the change was first noticed by This Week in Video Games.
Build the Wall used falling tetrominoes as a wall-building mechanic, with blocks remaining in place rather than clearing completed rows. Its presentation framed people approaching the border as “the coming horde” and used a “Southern Border” sign, turning a familiar puzzle format into political messaging about immigration.
In its Instagram statement, The Tetris Company said, “At Tetris we believe in the power of connection and bringing people together, not dividing them.” It also clarified that it had no role in making the game and added, “We take copyright infringement very seriously.” Our earlier coverage of The Tetris Company’s response details the company’s public separation from the project.
The timing alone does not establish a connection between the warning and the removal. For now, the confirmed change is simpler: the White House Arcade no longer hosts the Tetris clone that was still present the previous evening.
Share your thoughts on the game’s removal in the comments, and follow us on X, Bluesky, YouTube, Instagram, Steam, Telegram.
