Unlicensed Cube Pulled
Valve Demands Dbrand Remove Popular Unlicensed Portal Companion Cube Case, Prompting Refunds
Anonymous
Key Points
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Dbrand's Companion Cube drew substantial early interest, with a sign-up page drawing over 15,000 people on the first day and the product quickly becoming one of the company’s most popular launches, later described as the second-fastest selling product in Dbrand's 15-year history (behind the Switch 2 Killswitch).
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The undertaking involved substantial engineering and tooling: more than 1,000 hours of engineering, 44 injection-molding tool sets (one for each cube sub-component), multiple design iterations, and even renting a university campus to film the launch video.
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Valve’s stance was clear: the Companion Cube is Valve intellectual property and cannot be produced without a license, with Valve’s legal team demanding removal and declining to enter licensing negotiations.
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In the takedown, promotion materials were targeted as well: after Valve contacted Dbrand, the teaser launch video was made private and the product was pulled from the site and marketing channels.
Valve's legal team has forced Dbrand to cancel its Portal-themed Companion Cube enclosure for the Steam Machine, after the accessory company admitted it never got permission to make it. Dbrand pulled the product on June 29, 2026, made its launch video private, and began issuing full refunds to all preorder customers by end of day, according to PC Gamer.
The cancellation came despite explosive early demand. The Companion Cube had become the second-fastest selling product in Dbrand's 15-year history, per IGN. The company sank over 1,000 engineering hours and 44 sets of injection-molding tools into the project — none of which can be easily reused.
Dbrand Built the Cube Before Asking Anyone
When Valve announced its revived Steam Machine on November 12, 2025, Dbrand immediately posted a concept render and sign-up page for a Companion Cube-style case. Within 24 hours, over 15,000 people signed up, according to Windows Central. Dbrand then spent seven months engineering the product — without ever contacting Valve about a license.
Preorders went live around 3:00 AM on June 22, 2026. Two versions launched: a "Luxury Edition" at $129.95 and a barebones "Poverty Cube" at $99.95 — a price at which Dbrand said it was losing money on every unit, per PC Gamer. In their own words: "Being proud of the thing we made did not give us the right to make it."
Valve Said No and Would Not Negotiate
Within days of the launch, Valve's legal team contacted Dbrand. Their message was clear: the Weighted Companion Cube is Valve's intellectual property, and Dbrand had no right to sell it commercially. Valve demanded the product page and launch video be taken down immediately, according to IGN. Valve declined to enter any licensing talks.
Dbrand said Valve's lawyers were "direct, fair, and respectful throughout." Still, there was no path forward. Dbrand's appeal for an official licensing deal was denied outright, per Rock Paper Shotgun. The launch video — filmed on a rented university campus — was made private the same morning the statement went public.
Hundreds of Thousands in Tooling Costs Written Off
The engineering behind the Companion Cube was unusually deep for an accessory product. Dbrand built 44 separate injection-molding tool sets — one for each sub-component of the cube's design — plus ran multiple design iterations, according to Windows Central. That tooling investment cannot be easily repurposed for a "legally distinct" redesign.
PC Gamer noted that Dbrand has effectively "incinerated" its R&D spend with no product to show for it. The company took full responsibility, calling the decision to build without permission a "backward approach." All preorder customers are receiving full refunds.
Valve Guards Its IP Tightly in the New Steam Machine Era
This episode marks a notable shift for Valve. The company is known for a hands-off approach to fan-made content and mods. But the revived Steam Machine — a first-party device starting at $1,049 — appears to have raised the stakes, per Windows Central. Valve is now treating its Portal and Half-Life brand identities as strictly commercial assets.
Dbrand has pushed IP boundaries before. In 2021, it dared Sony to "sue us" over PS5 faceplates, leading to a cease-and-desist and a redesign, according to Rock Paper Shotgun. This time, the tone was different — far more apologetic. The company's core customers are Valve fans, and alienating them was not an option.
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