Valve officially revealed its schedule of promotional events on Steam for the rest of the year. In a blog post, Valve laid out when its major sales and themed promotional “fests” are planned for 2023. Though intended for companies using Steamworks to sell their games on the platform, the Steam Sale and Fest information is also helpful for individuals planning out their future game purchases.
Additionally, the post also gives some insight as to how Valve categorizes its various sales promotions. For example, the well-known Seasonal Steam Sale events occur four times a year (one for each season), and are open to all games that enter a discount for the period.
Meanwhile Valve will occasionally spotlight a particular category of games with the Steam Fest promotion, a themed event that usually has participation criteria.
Lastly, three times a year Valve runs the Steam Next Fest, a multi-day celebration of upcoming titles that features developer livestreams and playable demos.
As for the full schedule of Steam Sale and Fest events for 2023, check it out below.
- Mystery Fest: February 20 – 27
- Spring Sale: March 16 – 23 (major seasonal sale)
- Puzzle Fest: April 24 – May 1
- Sports Fest: May 15 – 22
- Next Fest: June 19 – 26
- Summer Sale: June 29 – July 13 (major seasonal sale)
- Stealth Fest: July 24 – 31
- Visual Novel Fest: August 7 – 14
- Strategy Fest: August 28 – September 4
- SHMUP Fest: September 25 – October 2
- Next Fest: October 9 – 16
- Return of Steam Scream Fest (Halloween): October 26 – November 2 (additional details to come)
- Autumn Sale: November 21 – 28 (major seasonal sale)
- Winter Sale: December 21 – January 4, 2024 (major seasonal sale)
The most recent Steam Next Fest was held in early February 2023. Check out our list of recommended demos from it.
