Valve is preparing a flurry of events and sales on Steam

If you're one of those who enjoy a A well-built gaming PC or a Steam Deck than with a desktop console like PS5, XboxWhether it's the Switch or the upcoming Switch 2, 2026 is shaping up to be a big year. Valve has decided to go all out and has made public a huge roadmap of sales and themed festivals which will keep us on the lookout for the store for practically the entire year.

Gabe Newell's company has not only confirmed the big discounts each season, but has also detailed a total of 29 special events ranging from niche festivals to massive discount campaignsAnd he's done it in his own style: with humor, a homemade video full of crazy ideas, and a calendar that mixes giant parties like summer sales with festivals as specific as one dedicated to horses or typing games.

A very unconventional video to announce 29 Steam events

Far from publishing a simple, boring press release, Valve has opted for a Advertisement very much in line with Devolver DirectThese are the kinds of events filled with irreverent humor that have become a trademark of Devolver Digital. In the clip, a company executive challenges herself to Explain all the festivals of 2026 using only toys and inventions from your daughter's playroomwhich results in a presentation that is as chaotic as it is fun.

As he explains in the video itself, at Valve they literally told him “No, please” when he proposed the idea, but still decided to go ahead with the experiment. It's even jokingly suggested that this idea might have cost him. “a lifetime ban on making videos”The company capped it off with a wink on social media and a note clarifying that the "we" in their initial message was more the work of one person trying to be original.

On the social network of Elon MuskValve explained that in 2026 it has 22 planned themed festivals They set out to find a fun and visual way to showcase the variety of games they'll be playing throughout the year. From there, the video strings together a series of examples: Steam Detective Fest, Four Game Fest, Typing Fest and a long etcetera that follow one another for more than a minute and a half.

Among the examples he shows are some truly crazy things like Horse Fest, Tower Defense Fest or Medieval FestSome with supposedly “zero advertising” within the show itself. In the end, the presenter admits, laughing, that "That was a bad idea, now I have to clean all this up."But the result is clear: everyone is left with the understanding that in 2026 there will be 29 themed events and discounts on Steam.

Beyond the staging, the important thing is that The calendar is now completely closed.22 festivals dedicated to specific genres or themes, three Steam NextFest focused on demos and four major sale seasons that will mark the key moments to empty your wallet with some common sense.

Big Steam sales in 2026: the four key stops of the year

One of the common questions among PC gamers is how many major sales campaigns There are seven major sales periods on Steam each year. For a long time, seven have been the norm, but Valve has been slightly adjusting the schedule, and for the last few years, The real "macro sales" revolve around four seasonsSpring, summer, autumn and winter.

After saying goodbye to the previous Christmas campaign, the next big event will be the spring saleValve decided several seasons ago to eliminate the Chinese Lunar New Year sales and instead reinstate [the current sales]. A Spring Sale with a lot of weightloaded with discounts on AAA, AA, and independent titles. In 2026, this campaign will take place from 19 al 26 MarchAnd it will be the first time of the year to make big, sensible purchases.

The platform's historical highlight continues to be the Summer salesIn 2026, the following events will be held: 25 from June to 9 from JulyTwo long weeks during which Valve's platform usually goes all out. It's not uncommon to see here historically low prices in games from major publishers, packs of entire franchises, and even minigames or special badge systems to further gamify the experience.

Valve has decided to make a move this fall. Autumn Sales 2026 They will no longer be tied to Black Friday as in the past, but will instead be celebrated from October 1th to 8thWith this move, the company seeks to separate the autumn campaign from the chaos of Black Friday deals and better distribute the pressure between publishers, stores and players, leaving Black Friday as an independent event whose specific dates will be announced later.

The year will be closed, as always, by the Steam Winter SaleThe most nostalgic campaign, and probably the one that generates the most sales. In 2026 they will launch the December 17 and will last until January 4, 2027It's the perfect time to get it done. Christmas gift to myselfComplete the collection with pending titles and take advantage of the holidays to play everything that has accumulated during the year.

How seasonal offers fit in with themed festivals

These four major discounts are in addition to a multitude of smaller but very specific festivals that fill practically the entire calendar. Valve's idea is clear: to prevent discounts from being a one-off event and turn them into a series of thematic quotes that allow players to discover new genres and developers to have clear windows of visibility.

In addition to seasonal sales, you'll find a section on the Steam homepage almost every day. “Special offers” with daily promotions, weekly offers, and weekend sales, often associated with specific publishers or recent releases. On top of that, 2026 is superimposed on a festival calendar for very specific niches, from bullet hell to cooking simulators.

Another fundamental part of the annual plan is the Steam NextFestThese festivals, which are usually held three times a year, are focused on demos of future releases, live sessions with developers and wishlists. Editions will be available in 2026. February, June and Octoberand will be key to discovering indie games that may later become huge hits, as happened in the past with projects like Enshrouded.

Valve, in fact, insists that these schedules are “living documents”Although the base dates for all of 2026 are already published, the company adjusts and expands details as events approach. Many specialized media outlets frequently review and update their calendar articles to reflect any changes, so it's a good idea to bookmark some of these pages.

Full Steam Events Calendar 2026: Month by Month

So you can Find out how much you've spent on Steam and organize your budget and mark everything in your planner, this is the Detailed festival calendar, Next Fest and sales that Valve has announced for 2026. It includes both the first and second halves of the year, with the dates as officially communicated.

Events from January to March: detectives, board games and Spring Sales

The year starts strong with the Detective Festival, focused on investigation, mystery, and case-solving games. From narrative adventures to more experimental offerings, any title with detectives, interrogations, or crime scenes It has a place here. The event takes place from January 12 to 19 And it's ideal if you like twisted plots.

Shortly afterwards he arrives Board Game FestivalDesigned for all lovers of digital board games. January 26 to February 2Steam gives prominence to official adaptations like Catan, off-road simulators like Tabletop Simulator, and all kinds of offerings that bring the transitioning from tabletop gaming experience to the digital environment.

February begins with a charming oddity: the Typing Festival (Typing Fest), from 5 to 9 for FebruaryThis section groups titles that transform the simple act of typing into core game mechanicswhether in the form of typographic shooters, typing speed challenges, or competitive proposals where words replace bullets.

From 9 to 16 for February It's your turn PvP FestivalAn event entirely focused on player-versus-player games. Strategy, shooters, fighting, online survival… any title you can imagine. measuring yourself against other people instead of just against the IA finds its niche in this particularly competitive week.

Closing out the month comes one of the most curious festivals: the Horse FestDedicated entirely to games featuring or strongly related to horses. 19 to 23 for FebruarySteam brings together everything from equestrian simulators to adventures where these animals play a key role, a perfect example of how specific Valve's themed calendar can be.

Immediately afterwards, the first Steam NextFest of the year, the February 2026 edition, between the February 23 and March 2During those days, the store fills up with hundreds of playable demos, live broadcasts and talks with developers, mainly focused on independent projects and titles in development that seek to make a place on the wish list of thousands of players.

Already in March, from 9 al 16, the Tower Defense Festfocused on tower defense games and variations of the genre. It's a fantastic opportunity to find new strategic challenges If you enjoy optimizing routes, upgrading towers, and withstanding increasingly tough waves of enemies.

The first major stop of 2026 will be the Steam Spring Sale 2026, scheduled from 19 al 26 MarchIt will be the first “XXL campaign” of the year, with Aggressive discounts on recent AAA titles, prestigious indies, and timeless classicsIt's a good time to cross several games off your wish list without fear that the price will drop much further in the short term.

The quarter ends with the House and Home Festival, from the 30 from March to 6 from AprilThis event focuses on games welcoming and “cozy”, focused on decorating, managing houses, farms, villages or personal spaces, as well as proposals designed to play without stress and at your own pace.

From April to June: The Middle Ages, oceans, bullets, and the second Next Fest

In April we have two very important dates. First, the 9 al 13, the Hidden Object Festival, presented by Valve as a “Special festival” dedicated to hidden object gamesThey can be classic scavenger hunts, exploration titles with well-kept secrets, or games that mix puzzles with collectibles hidden throughout the scenery.

Right after that comes the medieval festival, from the 20 al 27 AprilThey enter under their umbrella historical strategies like Age of EmpiresRPGs set in the Middle Ages like Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, period war simulators, or experiences multiplayer focused on close combat with swords, spears and armor.

May begins with the Deckbuilders Fest, the festival of the deck builders, from the 4 al 11Here, adaptations of classic card games shine, as do roguelike proposals in the style of Slay the Spire or experimental hybrids like Inscryption, all with some kind of mechanic based on creating and managing decks.

From 18 al 25 de mayo Is celebrated the Ocean FestivalDedicated to games that take place mostly underwater or are centered around marine environments, this is the perfect opportunity to discount titles like... Subnautica, Dave the Diver or any exploration, survival and management proposal linked to the sea, although players with thalassophobia might prefer to pass it up.

In June the pace picks up with the Bullet Festival (Bullet Hell Fest), from 8 al 15This event brings together shooters of all kinds, from classic bullet hell experiences with screens saturated with projectiles From frantic FPS games to action games where dodging bullets is practically an art form. Ideal for those seeking an intense challenge and reflexes pushed to the limit.

Right after, the 15 al 22 de junioWill take place on Steam's Next Fest – June 2026 EditionOnce again, a whole week dedicated to demos, broadcasts, and direct contact between studios and the community, with one eye on the Summer Game Fest and other summer events where many of the year's new products are announced.

The month closes with the aforementioned Steam Summer Sale 2026, from the 25 from June to 9 from JulyTraditionally, this is the time when More people are emptying their wallets. On Steam, the combination of holidays, free time, and a catalog with thousands of simultaneous offers makes it a popular time for many gamers to plan their big purchases.

From July to September: social security contributions, trains, cyberpunk, and PvE survival

Summer continues in July with the Social Deduction Festival, from the 13 al 16After the Among Us boom, this subgenre has proliferated with tons of offerings where The key is to accuse, defend yourself, lie, and uncover the imposter.All these variations are included in this festival, from direct clones to ideas that twist the original formula.

A week later, from 20 to 27 July, the Train FestivalThis includes railway driving simulators, line management games, strategy experiences centered around transport networks, and even narrative titles in which the train is a central settingwhether it's for storytelling or for offering relaxed trips.

August maintains the level with the Cyberpunk Festival, from the 3 al 10This event brings together games set in dystopian futures, hyper-technological cities, and worlds filled with cyborgs, corporations, and neon lightsIf you like Blade Runner or Night City-style atmospheres, here you'll find a good selection of titles with similar settings.

From 17 to August 20 One of the most unusual festivals of the year is coming: Pins & Pegs Festfocused on games Pinball, pachinko, bowling and related variationsIt's a clear example of how Valve tackles very specific themes, highlighting subgenres that might otherwise go unnoticed amidst the big sales.

Closing out the summer, from August 31 to September 7, The PvE Survival Crafting Fest, dedicated to the PvE survival and crafting gamesFrom realistic experiences with hunger, thirst and changing weather to fantastical scenarios in alien worlds or cartoons, anything that involves gathering resources, building bases and surviving against the environment has a place at this festival.

The month of September continues with the festival of Programme, from the 10 al 14It is geared towards games that teach programming, use code logic as a mechanic, or pose Puzzles inspired by computer science and software engineeringIt's a perfect event for those who see programming as a hobby and not just as a job.

From September 14 to 21 took place on Party RPG Festdesigned for fans of cooperative RPGs or RPGs with groups of charactersWhether online or locally, it's the perfect opportunity to experience games like Baldur's Gate 3 or similar projects focused on long campaigns to play with friends.

From October to December: fear, Black Friday and the last big sales

The last quarter starts strong thanks to the Steam Autumn Sale 2026, from the October 1th to 8thThis change of dates compared to previous years. It opens up a wider gap before Black Friday and the winter sales.allowing players to breathe a little easier and publishers to better plan their discount strategy.

From October 12th to 19th took place on Food Festival, focused on food games, restaurants, and gastronomy. From realistic simulators where you manage your own establishment to lighthearted experiences like Overcooked!, any title where the kitchen is the main stage It will have its own small display with discounts included.

Right after, the October 19th to 26th, the Steam Next Fest – October 2026 Edition, Which will be the last demo festival of the yearAlthough it closes the 2026 Next Fest cycle, everything points to Valve continuing to invest in this format in subsequent years, given its success among both players and developers.

Terror takes over with the Steam Scream Festival V (Steam Scream Festival), from the 26 from October to 2 from NovemberThis is the evolution of the classic Halloween sales, now transformed into a An event focused on horror games, survival horror, gore experiences, and titles with special events for All Saints' Day.It's the perfect week to expand your library of scares for very little money.

In November, from 16 al 23, the Auto-Battler RPG Festival, dedicated to the role-playing games with automatic combat or systems similar to auto-battler games. In these types of games, the player focuses more on managing statistics, synergies, and equipment than on manually executing each action, something that has gained popularity in recent years.

In addition, Valve has confirmed that it will give Black Friday will be given special prominence.Although it doesn't present it as its own named sales event. In practice, the store will redirect traffic to a special offers center to highlight those games that have active discounts during Black Friday, although the exact dates are still to be determined.

The grand finale of the year will come with the Steam Winter Sale 2026, which will extend from December 17 to January 4, 2027This is the ideal campaign to buy. digital gifts, completing collections and taking advantage of packs and bundleswith offerings ranging from big blockbusters to very small indie films that sneak onto the recommended lists.

Alongside this entire schedule, Valve reminds us that almost all events, except for seasonal sales, include informational pages for developers with clear instructions for registering their games, registration deadlines, and participation requirements. This way, studios can plan ahead to determine which festivals best suit their projects and how to make the most of each promotional opportunity.

Looking at the whole picture, it's clear that Steam has established itself as the leading PC store Not only because of its catalog size or social features, but also because of a calendar of sales and festivals that leaves no month without activity. Between Next Fest packed with demos, more than twenty themed festivals, and four major seasonal campaigns, 2026 will be a year in which the hard part won't be finding deals, but deciding. When to open your wallet and what to put on your wish list for the next wave of discounts.

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Isaac

Passionate writer about the world of bytes and technology in general. I love sharing my knowledge through writing, and that's what I'll do on this blog, show you all the most interesting things about gadgets, software, hardware, tech trends, and more. My goal is to help you navigate the digital world in a simple and entertaining way.