Steam Machine Companion Cube Canceled Because Dbrand Didn't Ask Valve for Permission

Tech accessory institution dbrand has canceled its Steam Machine Companion Cube enclosure effectual instantly due to the fact that it didn't inquire Valve for support to marque it successful the archetypal place.

The institution offered fans of the massively fashionable cosmetic a lengthy mentation – and an apology – with a station connected its subreddit. Refunds are already successful the works arsenic of today, with buyers encouraged to scope retired if they haven't received 1 by the extremity of the week.

Unfortunately, dbrand's relationship of the Companion Cube kerfuffle is painfully simple: "We built the thought into thing existent without ever asking Valve if we could."

"We’re going to regret that determination for a precise agelong time," it added.

The now-canceled Steam Machine Companion Cube.

The accessory institution recounts the events of November 12, 2025, the time Valve announced its PC-and-console hybrid, the Steam Machine. Interested gamers and, much specifically, fans of Portal, the crippled the accessory pulled its iconic exemplary from, volition retrieve seeing a conception render and sign-up leafage for the Companion Cube enclosure. As it turns out, contempt going "moderately viral," Valve ne'er gave dbrand the OK to bash this successful the archetypal place.

Dbrand says it "poured our souls" into the Steam Machine Companion Cube, spending "thousands of hours" ironing retired the kinks successful hopes of delivering a merchandise that looked similar it had been ripped close retired of Aperture Science. It was redesigned from scratch "more than once" to marque definite it cradled the Valve instrumentality perfectly.

Dbrand adjacent added that it was acceptable up to suffer wealth connected each $99 Poverty Cube alternate it sold. However, for the squad putting their everything into the Portal emotion letter, "it didn't matter" due to the fact that "this had turned into a passionateness task for the full organization."

"Unfortunately, being arrogant of the happening we made did not springiness america the close to marque it," dbrand said.

The Steam Machine Companion Cube became the company's second-fastest-selling merchandise erstwhile orders opened past week. Then, Valve reached out.

"They stated that the Companion Cube is Valve intelligence property, for which dbrand does not person a license," dbrand's connection continued. "They requested we instrumentality down the merchandise and motorboat movie immediately. This was wholly wrong their rights, and they were direct, fair, and respectful throughout.

"We took everything down and made an appeal. We asked Valve whether determination was immoderate mode to support the task alive: decently licensed, with their blessing, connected their terms. They said no. Given our backwards attack of gathering archetypal and asking support later, it was a just answer."

Dbrand admitted that it "made thing a batch of radical were excited about, past incinerated our changeable astatine bringing it to market." It past called the concern "a hard acquisition to larn publicly."

Mentions of the Steam Machine Companion Cube person already been wiped from dbrand's website and societal media feeds. It's been truthful thoroughly cleared that links to its erstwhile store leafage present redirect consecutive to the Reddit post.

"It goes without saying, but we’ll accidental it regardless: Valve didn’t bash thing incorrect here," dbrand added. "They built a crippled franchise a batch of radical emotion and they unsocial get to determine however it’s used.

"To everyone who was arsenic excited astir this task arsenic we were: convey you, and sorry. Refunds are being issued today. If it hasn’t landed successful your relationship by the extremity of this week, you cognize however to scope us."

"To Valve: convey you for Portal, and atrocious for the headache. We should’ve asked first."

Valve opened reservations for its Steam Machine past week and was instantly faced with scalpers. For more, you tin work IGN's archetypal sum of the Companion Cube – adjacent if it volition ne'er spot the airy of day.

Michael Cripe is simply a freelance writer with IGN. He's champion known for his enactment astatine sites similar The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be definite to springiness him a travel connected Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).