More than six months after Dbrand unveiled a stunning Companion Cube mod for Valve’s Steam Machine, the company has been forced to cancel the product and issue full refunds to over 100,000 pre-order customers. The reason? Dbrand never asked Valve for permission to use the iconic Portal franchise intellectual property.
A Promising Mod Derailed
The Companion Cube case was designed to wrap Valve’s latest gaming PC in a loving homage to one of gaming’s most beloved memes — the Weighted Companion Cube from Portal. Early previews were met with widespread acclaim, with tech enthusiasts and gaming fans alike praising the build quality and design. Dbrand had generated significant buzz, and pre-orders crossed the 100,000-unit threshold quickly.
But there was one critical oversight: Dbrand had not secured a license from Valve to use imagery or intellectual property from the Portal franchise. When the case finally went on sale last week, it didn’t take long for Valve’s legal team to take notice.
Valve’s Legal Response
In a candid Reddit post, Dbrand admitted it had never asked for or received permission to use the Companion Cube design. After the product launched, Valve’s legal team reached out and requested that Dbrand take down all listings and remove related marketing materials.
Dbrand attempted to negotiate a licensing agreement with Valve to keep the product alive, but the gaming giant declined. To the company’s credit, Dbrand was remarkably transparent about the situation, stating: “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.”
Refunds and Fallout
All customers who pre-ordered the Companion Cube case are receiving full refunds, including any international shipping fees that may have been incurred. For those who were excited about customizing their Steam Machine with the Portal-themed skin, this marks a disappointing end to what was shaping up to be one of the most popular third-party accessories for Valve’s hardware.
The incident serves as a cautionary tale about the importance of securing proper licensing before building a product around someone else’s intellectual property — even when the homage is meant with the best intentions.
As Engadget’s report by Sam Rutherford aptly put it, “This was not a triumph.” In the end, like the cake in Portal, Dbrand’s Companion Cube case turned out to be a lie — though in this case, the lie was unintentional, born of enthusiasm rather than malice. Fans hoping to give their Steam Machine a Portal makeover will have to look elsewhere, or perhaps hope that Valve itself decides to offer an officially licensed alternative down the line.