As we approach the end of the year, there's still some Steam sales to see out the last few months of 2026, from themed smaller Fests, to the next big seasonal sale.
With the Autumn Steam sale coming to close on October 8, the good news is there's still some more chances to snap up games for less. As our pick of the best Steam Autumn Sale games highlights, these sales events are always worth look, since we often see some recent new games reduce in price.
So, we've broken down a handy guide to the Steam sales dates for 2026 so you can see what's ahead, make the most of the discounts, and bag some of the best Steam games for less. Read on to find all of the remaining sales dates below, as well as answers to the most frequently asked questions about the Steam sales.
When is the next Steam sale?
The Autumn Sale has come to close, but there's still more themed sales on the way, as well as the next big seasonal event with the Winter Steam Sale, which will kick off on December 17.
The Autumn sale ran for seven days and brought a lot of great savings. But if you didn't pick up anything in the latest big sales event, don't worry, there's still plenty of chances ahead, with some smaller "Fests" running throughout October (including a Next Fest).
Steam Fests are typically themed events that also offer a range of discounts. So, if you want ongoing savings, it's a good idea to keep track of these as well. To participate in the Steam Sales and Fests, you'll need to have a Steam account (which is free to create). So, if you want to make the most of all the money-saving deals, be sure to sign up for Steam.
All the upcoming Steam sale dates
Steam has sales periodically throughout the year. So, if you want to keep track of all the upcoming events, you can read our list below, where we've collected all the important Steam sale dates and other events on offer on Valve's platform throughout the whole of 2026.
- Cooking Fest: October 12 – October 19
- Steam Next Fest: October 19 – October 26
- Steam Scream V Fest: October 26 – November 2
- Auto-Battler RPG Fest: November 16 – November 23
- Steam Winter Sale 2026: December 17 – January 4, 2027
What is the biggest Steam Sale of the year?
The biggest Steam sales tend to be the Summer sale and the Winter sale, as they often see the biggest discounts.
They also run significantly longer than the other Steam sales in the calendar, which typically last for only a week. Instead, the Summer sale lasts for 14 days, while the Winter sale runs for around 19 days. This means more discounts to be claimed and more games on offer to browse through for deals.
The Summer and Winter sales are the periods where you'll likely find the big discounts for recent releases that came out early in the year or at the end of 2025. So it's worth keeping track of your wishlist during this time to jump on any price reductions for those massive games that were just a tad too expensive for you at the time of their launch.
While the Summer and Winter sales are the biggest on Steam's calendar generally, the platform has some great discounts throughout the year. Along with all of its scheduled events, there are often publisher sales as well. For example, Ubisoft recently had a Steam sale where several of the Assassin's Creed games and more were discounted.
It's always a good idea to keep an eye on Steam for opportunities such as those and to keep your wishlist curated so that you get notified anytime a title you really, really want gets a discount.
How long do Steam sales last?
Most Steam sales and events last for around seven days. However, there are certain events that run for longer than a week, such as the Steam Summer sale and the Steam Winter sale.
That may seem like a short time to get everything you need or want. However, a big thing to remember is that you can always wait for another sale if you run out of time. Steam has tons of discounts running throughout the year that hit during themed "Fest" events, publisher sales, and seasonal Steam sales as well.
That means that you'll likely see discounts return periodically and will still be able to make the most of various discounts throughout the year. The clock is on your side when it comes to Steam sales!
Steam sale rewards
Not every Steam sale has rewards. However, the majority of the seasonal ones do offer some kind of prize for participating in the event—be that limited stickers that unlock once a day to claim or trading cards.
Trading cards are typically available to collect during the Summer and Winter sales. Through collecting all of the Steam sale trading cards, you'll be able to craft a badge, which you can display on your profile page. In the past, we've seen that trading cards are rewarded for every purchase over $10 during sales that offer them.
You'll also be able to sell and buy Steam Sale trading cards on the Steam marketplace during and for 30 days after the event. And, of course, you can also trade cards with your friends if you have any duplicates and are aiming to craft badges without breaking the bank. Crafting a Steam sale badge will also give you additional rewards, such as an emoticon and a profile background, as well as profile XP.
However, as I mentioned above, not every Steam sale offers trading cards, so be sure to double-check the details of the sale you are participating in so that you don't spend any extra money trying to unlock cards that aren't even on offer.
Keep your wishlist fresh with our roundup of all of the upcoming PC games heading our way. Or look ahead to future demo events with our Steam Next Fest guide.
