Steam Machine Companion Cube case cancelled because Dbrand didn't ask Valve for permission to make it: 'We’re going to regret that decision for a very long time'

Back in November 2025, Dbrand teased a Portal Companion Cube case for the Steam Machine, and while the initial render wasn't great, the underlying idea was so good that PC Gamer hardware editor Andy Edser declared, "You have to make it now, no takesie-backsies." Sorry, other Andy, but I'm afraid the takesie-backsies are on, as Dbrand has pulled the plug and scrubbed all trace of its existence from the internet.

The reason for the sudden turnabout is quite simple: Dbrand, uhh, made the cube without Valve's permission.

"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," Dbrand wrote on Reddit. "It went moderately viral, with over 15,000 people signing up to be notified in the first da...