Accessories manufacturer dbrand has canceled and refunded all sales of its steam engine Companion Cube case after valves The legal team confirmed that the design used Valve’s intellectual property without permission.
The company publicly admitted in a Reddit post who spent more than seven months developing the product without seeking approval from Valve.
The Portal-inspired Companion Cube case was available for pre-order starting June 22 for $99. It became dbrand’s second fastest-selling product in its 15-year history before being withdrawn from sale. All pre-orders are being refunded.
What happened between dbrand and Valve?
The case began as a joke shortly after the Steam Machine was announced. Consumer interest encouraged dbrand to make it a real product.
The company reported that over seven months, more than 1,000 engineering hours were invested in developing the case, along with the creation of 44 sets of injection molding tooling.
In a Reddit post, dbrand mentioned: “We turned the idea into something real without even asking Valve if we could. We’re going to regret that decision for a long time.”
The company also noted that it was losing money on every $99 box 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 Companion Cube is Valve’s intellectual property for which dbrand had no license and requested that dbrand remove the product and associated launch movie immediately.
dbrand characterized Valve’s actions as “direct, fair and respectful.” The company attempted to obtain a license retroactively, but Valve rejected it.
What customers should expect
All pre-orders placed during the short sales period will be refunded today. Customers do not need to take any action to receive their refunds. The original product listing page now redirects to dbrand’s explanatory Reddit post.
dbrand has not announced any replacement products or alternative designs for Steam Machine owners who were interested in the case.
The 44 injection molding tool sets developed for the cube design cannot be reused for Portal-related unlicensed products.
The incident serves as a clear example of a company openly admitting a major mistake. dbrand stated directly: “Being proud of what we did did not give us the right to do it.”
The company also acknowledged that “Valve did nothing wrong here. We should have asked first.” When a Reddit user called dbrand “fucking stupid,” the company’s official account simply responded, “Yes.”
What this means for third-party steam engine 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 accessories for the Steam Machine, the key takeaway is clear: license approval must be obtained before development begins, not after.
Valve has provided CAD files for the Steam Machine’s outer casing, allowing other manufacturers to produce custom faceplates.
This officially supported option allows accessory manufacturers to participate in the Steam Machine ecosystem without infringing on Valve’s intellectual property.
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, a licensed version has not been announced. Currently, the only way to customize a Steam Machine is through third-party designs based on the CAD files published by Valve, with custom faceplates becoming the most accessible option.
