{"id":11156,"date":"2026-06-29T20:12:20","date_gmt":"2026-06-29T17:12:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/imdbnews.ir\/?p=11156"},"modified":"2026-06-30T00:05:06","modified_gmt":"2026-06-29T20:35:06","slug":"steam-machine-companion-cube-canceled-because-dbrand-didnt-ask-valve-for-permission","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/imdbnews.ir\/index.php\/2026\/06\/29\/steam-machine-companion-cube-canceled-because-dbrand-didnt-ask-valve-for-permission\/","title":{"rendered":"Steam Machine Companion Cube Canceled Because Dbrand Didn’t Ask Valve for Permission"},"content":{"rendered":"

Tech accessory company dbrand has canceled its Steam Machine Companion Cube enclosure effective immediately because it didn’t ask Valve for permission to make it in the first place.<\/p>\n

The company offered fans of the massively popular cosmetic a lengthy explanation \u2013 and an apology \u2013 with a post on its subreddit. Refunds are already in the works as of today, with buyers encouraged to reach out if they haven’t received one by the end of the week.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, dbrand’s account of the Companion Cube kerfuffle is painfully simple: “We built the idea into something real without ever asking Valve if we could.”<\/p>\n

“We\u2019re going to regret that decision for a very long time,” it added.<\/p>\n

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The now-canceled Steam Machine Companion Cube.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The accessory company recounts the events of November 12, 2025, the day Valve announced its PC-and-console hybrid, the Steam Machine. Interested gamers and, more specifically, fans of Portal, the game the accessory pulled its iconic model from, will remember seeing a concept render and sign-up page for the Companion Cube enclosure. As it turns out, despite going “moderately viral,” Valve never gave dbrand the OK to do this in the first place.<\/p>\n

Dbrand says it “poured our souls” into the Steam Machine Companion Cube, spending “thousands of hours” ironing out the kinks in hopes of delivering a product that looked like it had been ripped right out of Aperture Science. It was redesigned from scratch “more than once” to make sure it cradled the Valve device perfectly.<\/p>\n

Dbrand even added that it was set up to lose money on every $99 Poverty Cube alternative it sold. However, for the team putting their everything into the Portal love letter, “it didn’t matter” because “this had turned into a passion project for the entire organization.”<\/p>\n

“Unfortunately, being proud of the thing we made did not give us the right to make it,” dbrand said.<\/p>\n

The Steam Machine Companion Cube became the company’s second-fastest-selling product when orders opened last week. Then, Valve reached out.<\/p>\n

“They stated that the Companion Cube is Valve intellectual property, for which dbrand does not have a license,” dbrand’s message continued. “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.<\/p>\n

“We took everything down and made an appeal. We asked Valve whether there was any way to keep the project alive: properly licensed, with their blessing, on their terms. They said no. Given our backwards approach of building first and asking permission later, it was a fair answer.”<\/p>\n

Dbrand admitted that it “made something a lot of people were excited about, then incinerated our shot at bringing it to market.” It then called the situation “a hard lesson to learn publicly.”<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

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Steam Machine \u2013 Hands On Photos<\/h3>\n