Tetris: World Builders Announced as New Animated Series

The Tetris brand is expanding into new territory. The Tetris Company and independent animation studio TeamTO have officially announced Tetris: World Builders a 52-episode CG-animated adventure series aimed at children. The project was unveiled during the “Come Fly with TeamTO” presentation at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival.

While the game itself has been a staple of pop culture for over 40 years, Tetris: World Builders marks a significant departure by introducing human characters into the franchise for the first time. The series centers on a group of young “World Builders” who must navigate a landscape transformed by falling, mysterious Tetrimino blocks. According to the developers, the narrative focuses on STEAM-based thinking, encouraging viewers to view challenges as opportunities for construction and collaboration.

A New Direction for the Franchise

The series is currently in early development. It is being spearheaded by TeamTO producers Marco Balsamo and Tara Sibel Demren alongside executive producer Chuck Williams, who previously worked on high-profile video game adaptations such as Sonic the Hedgehog. The team intends to reimagine the game's geometric language as a living, cinematic environment.

“What has made Tetris timeless for more than four decades is the universal simplicity of its core idea: working with the pieces you’re given and discovering how they can come together,” said Marco Balsamo, TeamTO CEO. “We saw an opportunity to transform that philosophy into an adventurous, optimistic world for a new generation of kids.”

For The Tetris Company, the series represents an effort to translate the logic-based gameplay of the original 1984 title into a character-driven format. “We are expanding the Tetris universe in an entirely new way, transforming one of the most iconic games of all time into a new adventure that inspires creativity, collaboration, and discovery,” said Maya Rogers, CEO of The Tetris Company.

Expanding the Brand

The announcement follows TeamTO’s broader strategy of pairing recognizable global brands with creator-led storytelling. Founded in 2005, the Paris-based studio has been building its slate of original intellectual property, with Tetris: World Builders serving as a key addition to its portfolio. The studio’s name, derived from the Japanese word for “flying fish,” is intended to reflect its focus on boundary-pushing animation.

This venture into television is the latest move for the Tetris brand, which has already seen its reach extend into fashion, music, and various entertainment sectors. With over 520 million units sold worldwide and billions of games played annually, the brand remains a dominant force, though this series is the first to directly place human characters within the iconic world of falling blocks.