The White House has removed "Build the Wall," a web game about building a border wall, from its official website. The Tetris Company had previously denied involvement in its creation and authorization of its intellectual property (IP) for the 'Tetris'-style game.
U.S. tech outlet Ars Technica reported on the 8th (local time) that "Build the Wall" was taken down from the White House website. The game was one of five arcade games released by the White House on the 3rd to promote its policies.
"Build the Wall" is a game where players move and rotate falling blocks to block zombies trying to cross the border. Unlike 'Tetris', where blocks disappear upon filling a horizontal line, completed lines remain intact to form a wall. The game ends when blocks continue stacking and fill the screen.
The Tetris Company stated in a statement on the 4th that it was not involved in the creation of the game. It explained that it had neither authorized nor licensed the use of the 'Tetris' brand or IP, and stated at the time that it was reviewing the matter.
On the same day, it reiterated its position on official social media that it did not participate in its creation. In the post, the company added the phrase, "We take copyright infringement very seriously".
As of the 9th, four other games remain on the White House arcade, excluding "Build the Wall". The specific reason why the White House removed the game has not been disclosed.
