As far as skins and cases for electronic devices go, I'd argue that few companies — if any — make products as unique and cool as Dbrand's. Even more than for its edgy and provocative tone on social media, Dbrand is widely known for its premium enclosures that often sport standout and eye-catching designs.
One of these is (or was; more on that below) its Portal Companion Cube case for Valve's newly released Steam Machine that makes the compact gaming PC look exactly like the beloved Weighted Companion Cube from the publisher's legendary puzzle game series. The $99 enclosure quickly went viral and launched to extreme success last week...but ultimately, I'm sad to report that success was very short-lived.
On Monday, soon after fans noticed the Companion Cube case was recently wiped from all Dbrand channels and platforms, the brand announced that the skin has been canceled following a takedown request from Valve. It explained that it neglected to acquire a license from Valve to create and sell a Portal-themed product, leading to the cease and desist.
"The blunt version is that we made the Companion Cube without a license from Valve. Everyone who purchased a Companion Cube will have their refund issued by end-of-day," Dbrand wrote in its statement.
"On November 12th 2025, the day the Steam Machine was announced, we put up a concept render and sign-up page to see if anyone would be interested in a Companion Cube enclosure. It went moderately viral, with over fifteen thousand people signing up to be notified in the first day," it continued. "In the months that followed, 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."
RIP Companion Cube from r/dbrand
Dbrand went on to say that it invested seven months of hard work into the project and was extremely proud of how the case turned out, but also acknowledged that all the time and effort still didn't give it the right to create the enclosure without licensing or permission.
"Unfortunately, being proud of the thing we made did not give us the right to make it. We launched around 3am on Monday, June 22nd. Overnight, it became the second-fastest selling product in our 15-year history, behind only the Switch 2 Killswitch," it said.
"Shortly after, Valve’s legal team reached out. They stated that the Companion Cube is Valve intellectual property, for which dbrand does not have a license," the brand added. "They requested we take down the product and launch film immediately. This was entirely within their rights, and they were direct, fair, and respectful throughout."
Dbrand attempted to see if Valve would be willing to license the case, but it ultimately said no, leading to the project's cancelation. It noted that "Given our backwards approach of building first and asking permission later, it was a fair answer."
"To everyone who was as excited about this project as we were: thank you, and sorry. Refunds are being issued today. If it hasn’t landed in your account by the end of this week, you know how to reach us," the company concluded. "To Valve: thank you for Portal, and sorry for the headache. We should’ve asked first."
It's true that Valve ultimately didn't do anything wrong here, but regardless: I'm really sad that sale of this Steam Machine case has been halted, as it's incredibly cool and undoubtedly one of the sweetest ones we'll ever see for the system.
Would you like to see Valve change its mind and work with Dbrand to license a Portal Companion Cube case for the Steam Machine after all? Let me know in the comments, and in our poll.
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source https://www.windowscentral.com/accessories/rip-to-the-amazing-steam-machine-portal-companion-cube-case-dbrand-made-without-asking-valve-first
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