The dream of the perfect gaming accessory hit a sudden, sharp halt. Dbrand has officially cancelled its highly anticipated Portal-inspired Companion Cube case for the Steam Machine, pulling the plug on a project that saw significant investment and huge demand.
What started as an exciting idea quickly became a complicated legal saga. While the company opened pre-orders earlier this month, the listing was swiftly removed, prompting Dbrand to explain the abrupt end to the venture.
The core issue, as Dbrand confirmed, lay in intellectual property. The Companion Cube enclosure was developed without explicit permission from Valve. Although Dbrand created an initial concept render when the Steam Machine was first announced in November 2025, the immediate popular interest caused them to turn the concept into a tangible product.
The journey to this point involved serious commitment. Dbrand invested heavily in the project, spending months redesigning the enclosure and even renting a university campus to film the launch video for the product.
When the case finally launched on June 22nd, it performed brilliantly, quickly establishing itself as Dbrand’s second-fastest-selling product ever. This success only intensified the legal challenge from Valve.
Shortly thereafter, Valve’s legal team reached out to the company. They asserted that the Companion Cube is intellectual property belonging to Valve and demanded the removal of all listings and promotional material. Despite Dbrand’s attempt to negotiate a proper license, Valve declined the request.
Dbrand reflected on the situation, noting that their approach—building first and seeking permission later—was ultimately a fair answer given the circumstances. They have since announced that refunds for all orders will be processed by the end of the week.
Buy on Amazon
Credit: KitGuru
