Accessory maker dbrand has canceled and refunded all sales of its Steam Machine Companion Cube case after Valve’s legal team confirmed that the design used Valve’s intellectual property without permission.
The company publicly admitted in a Reddit post that it spent more than seven months developing the product without asking Valve for approval.
The Portal-inspired Companion Cube case was available for pre-order starting June 22 at a price of 99 dollars. It became dbrand’s second-fastest-selling product in its 15-year history before being removed from sale. All pre-orders are being refunded.
What Happened Between dbrand And Valve
The case started as a joke shortly after the Steam Machine was announced. Consumer interest encouraged dbrand to turn it into a real product.
The company reported that over seven months, more than 1,000 hours of engineering went into developing the case, along with the creation of 44 sets of injection molding tools.
In a Reddit post, dbrand mentioned, “We built the idea into something real without ever asking Valve if we could. We’re going to regret that decision for a very long time.”
The company also pointed out that it was losing money on each $99 case sold but described it as a passion project.
Pre-orders for the case opened on June 22. Shortly after, Valve’s legal team contacted dbrand. Valve’s lawyers stated that the Companion Cube is Valve intellectual property for which dbrand did not have a license, and requested that dbrand take down the product and the associated launch film immediately.
dbrand characterized Valve’s actions as “direct, fair, and respectful.” The company attempted to retroactively secure a license, but Valve declined.
What Customers Should Expect
All pre-orders placed during the brief sales window are being refunded today. Customers do not need to take action to receive their refunds. The original product listing page now redirects to dbrand’s explanatory Reddit post.
dbrand has not announced any replacement product or alternative design for Steam Machine owners who were interested in the case.
The 44 sets of injection molding tools developed for the cube design cannot be repurposed for unlicensed Portal-themed products.
The incident serves as a clear example of a company openly admitting to a significant mistake. dbrand directly stated, “Being proud of the thing we made did not give us the right to make it.”
The company also acknowledged that “Valve didn’t do anything wrong here. We should have asked first.” When a Reddit user called dbrand “fucking stupid,” the company’s official account simply replied, “Yes.”
What This Means For Third-Party Steam Machine Accessories
The incident underscores the limitations of unofficial product development for licensed intellectual property, even when manufacturers have good intentions.
For other companies thinking about creating Steam Machine accessories, the key takeaway is clear: licensing approval should be obtained before starting development, not afterward.
Valve has provided CAD files for the outer shell of the Steam Machine, enabling third-party manufacturers to produce custom faceplates.
This officially supported option allows accessory makers to participate in the Steam Machine ecosystem without infringing on Valve’s IP.
However, unlicensed designs that incorporate Valve-owned characters, settings, or assets still require formal licensing agreements.
For users hoping to purchase the Companion Cube case, there has been no announcement of a licensed version. Currently, the only way to customize a Steam Machine is through third-party designs based on Valve’s released CAD files, with custom faceplates becoming the most accessible option.
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