Valve publishes Steam’s seasonal sale dates in advance on Steamworks, its developer site, so the dates below are confirmed rather than rumoured. All seasonal sales start and end at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time.
Upcoming Steam sales
| Event | Dates |
|---|---|
| Autumn Sale 2026 | 1 – 8 October 2026 |
| Steam Next Fest (demos) | 19 – 26 October 2026 |
| Steam Scream V | 26 October – 2 November 2026 |
| Winter Sale 2026 | 17 December 2026 – 4 January 2027 |
| Spring Sale 2027 | 18 – 25 March 2027 |
| Summer Sale 2027 | 24 June – 8 July 2027 |
Valve also runs shorter themed fests throughout the year. Next Fest is about free demos of upcoming games rather than discounts.
What changed with the Autumn Sale
Until 2024 the Autumn Sale ran over the US Thanksgiving weekend. Since 2025 Valve holds it in early autumn instead — it ran from 29 September to 6 October in 2025 — so do not wait for Black Friday expecting a storewide Steam sale.
How Steam sales work
- Prices don’t drop further mid-sale. Valve dropped daily and flash deals years ago, so a game’s discount stays the same for the whole event. Buy on day one if the price is right.
- Wishlist alerts: Steam emails you when a game on your wishlist gets a discount of 20% or more.
- Check price history on sites like SteamDB to see whether a discount is actually a good one.
Before you buy
Check the system requirements, and remember Steam’s refund policy generally covers requests within 14 days of purchase and under two hours of play.
