DBrand
Dbrand has confirmed it is issuing full refunds to customers after Valve forced the company to pull its Portal-inspired Steam Machine Companion Cube case just days after launch.
The accessory maker said the product was removed from its website, YouTube channel, and social media after Valve’s legal team contacted the company, stating that the Companion Cube design is protected intellectual property and that Dbrand did not have a license to sell it.
The Companion Cube enclosure was first teased shortly after Valve unveiled the Steam Machine in November 2025, with more than 15,000 people signing up for updates on the concept in its first day.
Dbrand says Valve was “entirely within their rights”
Rather than seeking permission from Valve before development, Dbrand admitted it spent the next seven months turning the concept into a finished product without obtaining a license.
“We’re going to regret that decision for a very long time.”
According to Dbrand, the project consumed more than 1,000 hours of engineering work, required 44 injection molding tools for the individual components, and was redesigned multiple times before launch. The company also said it rented a university campus to film the launch trailer and was losing money on every $99 “Poverty Cube” sold.
Despite that investment, Dbrand acknowledged it never had the right to produce the accessory.
“Unfortunately, being proud of the thing we made did not give us the right to make it.”
DBrand
The case launched on June 22 and, according to Dbrand, became the company’s second-fastest-selling product ever, behind only its Nintendo Switch 2 Killswitch case.
Shortly after launch, Valve contacted the company and requested that the product and its promotional video be removed.
“They stated that the Companion Cube is Valve’s intellectual property, for which Dbrand does not have a license. They requested we take down the product and launch the film immediately. This was entirely within their rights, and they were direct, fair, and respectful throughout.”
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Dbrand said it appealed to Valve in the hope of continuing the project under an official license, but the request was denied.
“We asked Valve whether there was any way to keep the project alive: properly licensed, with their blessing, on their terms. They said no.”
The company confirmed that everyone who purchased a Companion Cube will receive a full refund, with refunds expected to be issued by the end of the day, June 29. It also apologized to customers and to Valve, adding that it had “built first and asked permission later.”
“It goes without saying, but we’ll say it regardless: Valve didn’t do anything wrong here. They built a game franchise a lot of people love, and they alone get to decide how it’s used.”
