Steam sale calendar 2026-2027: when the next sales hit and how deep they cut
The Summer Sale is over — so when’s the next chance? Here’s the full Steam sale map for the rest of 2026 and early 2027, based on Valve’s historical schedule (Valve confirms exact dates a few weeks ahead, but the pattern is very stable).
The big four (deepest discounts)
| Sale | Typical window | Discount level |
|---|---|---|
| Spring Sale | Mid March | High |
| Summer Sale | Late June – early July | Highest of the year (tied) |
| Autumn Sale | Late November (Black Friday week) | High |
| Winter Sale | Mid December – early January | Highest of the year (tied) |
Rule of thumb: Summer and Winter are when all-time lows break. Autumn matches most Summer prices. Spring is one notch below.
Next up: what’s between now and December
- Themed fests (roughly monthly): genre-focused events — strategy, horror, RPG and more — with real discounts on that genre. Smaller cuts than the big four, but if your genre gets a fest, check it.
- Steam Next Fest (typically October): demos galore plus launch discounts on new indies.
- Autumn Sale (late November): the next big one. ~4.5 months away.
- Winter Sale (from mid December): the year’s grand finale — most games return to their Summer Sale price or lower.
The two facts that save you the most money
1. Discounts are flat for the whole sale. Since 2015 there are no flash deals or last-day surprises — the price you see on day one is the price on the last day. Buy whenever you decide; waiting within a sale gains nothing.
2. Sale prices repeat. A game’s Summer Sale price almost always comes back in Winter, often lower. If you miss one sale, the same deal is typically ~5 months away — or available at a key store today.
Don’t want to wait until November?
Between Steam sales, key stores are the bridge: Eneba, Kinguin and Instant Gaming price independently of Valve’s calendar, and usually sit near (or below) the last sale price all year.
Compare today’s prices across 15+ stores →
Or install the free SteamSage extension — it shows the best current price on every Steam page you visit, so you never have to guess whether waiting for a sale is worth it. How it works →
TL;DR
- Next big sale: Autumn (late November)
- Deepest sales: Summer and Winter
- Within any sale, prices don’t change — buy on day one
- Between sales, key stores usually match or beat the last sale price
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