Valve just revealed the Steam sales and events for the rest of 2026, and besides the discounts I'm looking at the Party-Based RPG Fest to help satisfy those post-Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 cravings

Valve has finally revealed the next round of Steam sale dates alongside all the Next Fests and other events for the rest of 2026, and things are pretty much as they've been for the past few years. That of course means big sales in the summer, autumn, and winter, but it's the genre-themed festivals that have caught my eye. In particular, I think the Party-Based RPG Fest might be just the ticket to fill the void Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has left in our hearts.

The Steam Summer Sale runs for two weeks from late June to early July (as always), the Steam Autumn Sale runs through the first week of October (as always), and the Steam Winter Sale kicks off in late December and runs through early January (you get the idea). The only truly notable shifts in Valve's announcement are for the big June and October Next Fests, each of which has been moved back roughly a week compared to 2025.

More fresh and intriguing are this year's selection of genre-themed events, with such names as "Bullet Fest" and "Cyberpunk Fest." I suspect, however, that the Party-Based RPG Fest that's going to offer the most intriguing glimpse into the future. Baldur's Gate 3 and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 alike have helped cultivate a new generation of RPG fans, and I wouldn't be surprised if some very cool indies crop up to satisfy the cravings of this expanding fandom.

Here's the full list of newly-announced dates.

• Bullet Fest: June 8 – June 15
• Steam Next Fest: June 15 – June 22
• Steam Summer Sale 2026: June 25 – July 9
• Social Deduction Fest: July 13 – July 16
• Train Fest: July 20 – July 27
• Cyberpunk Fest: August 3 – August 10
• Pins & Pegs Fest: August 17 – August 20
• PvE Survival Crafting Fest: August 31 – September 7
• Programming Fest: September 10 – September 14
• Party-Based RPG Fest: September 14 – September 21
• Steam Autumn Sale 2026: October 1 – October 8
• 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

"Steam is winning with its ease of use" but not on quality, says new GOG owner pondering how to "take the market" from Valve: "We don't release hundreds of games daily, 95% of which are really not super high quality."