Steam's next major sale is the Steam Autumn Sale, which typically runs in the week around US Thanksgiving (late November). Steam holds four big seasonal sales every year — Spring (March), Summer (late June), Autumn (late November) and Winter (late December) — plus shorter themed "Fest" events in between. Valve confirms exact dates on its official Steamworks partner documentation and the Steam store homepage roughly two weeks before each sale begins.
Steam sale schedule for 2026
Valve publishes its official sale calendar to developers each year and the public dates follow a stable pattern. Based on the confirmed seasonal rhythm, here is when to expect each event:
| Sale | Typical window | Usual duration |
|---|---|---|
| Steam Spring Sale | Mid-March | 7 days |
| Steam Summer Sale | Late June – early July | 14 days |
| Steam Autumn Sale | Week of US Thanksgiving | 7 days |
| Steam Winter Sale | Late December – early January | 14 days |
Between the seasonal sales, Steam runs themed week-long "Fests" (for example Next Fest demo events, Survival Fest, or genre-specific celebrations). These carry smaller discounts on a narrower slice of the catalogue.
How deep are Steam sale discounts?
Discount depth depends mostly on a game's age, and the pattern is consistent across sales:
- New releases (under 3 months): usually 10–25% off
- Recent hits (3–12 months): typically 25–50% off
- Back catalogue (1+ years): frequently 50–90% off
A game that hits 75% off in one sale will almost always reach that same floor again within one or two sale cycles, so missing a deal is rarely costly. DLC and season passes often receive their first meaningful discount around a year after release.
How to never miss a deal
- Wishlist games on Steam. Steam emails you the moment a wishlisted title is discounted — this is the single most reliable way to track specific games.
- Check historical lows. Price-tracking sites such as IsThereAnyDeal show each game's all-time low and which store currently has it cheapest.
- Top up your Steam Wallet in advance. Wallet credit lets you check out instantly during the high-traffic first hours of a sale instead of waiting on card verification.
Sources
- Steam store homepage — official sale announcements and live discounts
- Steamworks (Valve's partner site) — official seasonal sale calendar for developers
- IsThereAnyDeal — independent price history and historical-low tracking
