Valve just pulled the plug on Dbrand’s Steam Machine wrap, and here’s why it matters. Everyone’s favorite vinyl wrap company, Dbrand, announced a sleek new wrap design for the Steam Machine, but there’s a catch—they didn’t ask Valve for permission first.
The design was inspired by the iconic Companion Cube from Portal, and it got folks pretty excited when it popped up on social media. In fact, over 15,000 people signed up for notifications right after the announcement. But here’s the kicker: Dbrand forgot to get the green light from Valve before they started promoting it. Unsurprisingly, Valve’s legal team wasn’t thrilled and demanded the wrap be taken down immediately. This isn’t Dbrand’s first rodeo with legal hiccups, as seen with their PS5 faceplate saga detailed in our coverage here.
For those who pre-ordered the wrap, Dbrand is offering full refunds—no harm, no foul. While the wrap won’t see the light of day, there’s a silver lining. Valve plans to release design docs for the Steam Machine’s front plate, which means you can 3D print your own custom designs. Interested in more on the Steam Machine? Check out how it’s dealing with scalpers on eBay.
Keep an eye out for more updates from Valve and Dbrand. Who knows what creative twist they’ll come up with next?
Photo by Polina Tankilevitch on Pexels
