Dbrand Halts Unlicensed Steam Machine Companion Cube Case Sales After Valve Demand
The incident shows a major accessories maker misjudging IP boundaries on a high-profile product, leading to a rapid takedown and refund process.
Reporting from 1 sources: Game Spark.
Dbrand admitted its Steam Machine Companion Cube case was unlicensed and halted sales after Valve's legal team demanded removal. The gadget retailer is issuing full refunds and acknowledged Valve's right to deny a license for the Portal-inspired product.
Dbrand began selling the unofficial case around 3:00 AM on June 22, 2026. It became the second fastest-selling product in the company's 15-year history, behind the Switch 2 Killswitch. Within hours, Valve's legal team contacted dbrand, stating the Companion Cube is its intellectual property and demanding removal of the product page and promotional video. Dbrand complied and attempted to negotiate a formal license but accepted Valve's refusal. The company said interactions with Valve's legal team were direct, fair, and respectful throughout.
Development started on November 12, 2025, the day the Steam Machine was announced. Over 15,000 people signed up for notifications on the first day of concept renders. The industrial design team spent over 1,000 hours on development, creating 44 types of injection molding tools and redesigning the product from scratch multiple times. The $99 Poverty Cube edition was sold at a loss per unit, but dbrand called it a passion project. Refunds are being processed, and customers are asked to contact dbrand if not confirmed by the end of the week.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.