Steam Winter Sale 2026: how to prepare your game
26 Oct 2026 · 6 min read
The Steam Winter Sale 2026 runs from 17 December 2026 to 4 January 2027, at 10am Pacific, per Valve's own event page. It is the last seasonal sale of the year and the one where players also vote in the Steam Awards. Here is what an indie developer needs to do before it starts, with every rule taken from the Steamworks docs.
The dates
Valve has confirmed the dates on its Upcoming Steam Events page. These are the ones that matter for your game, in order:
| When | What | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 17 Nov 2026 | Last day to release (or raise your base price) and still discount in the sale | No discount for 30 days after a release or a price increase |
| Now to mid Dec | Enter your sale discount on the Discount Management page | Between 10% and 95% |
| When Valve posts it | Download the Winter Sale asset kit for your own social posts | Listed as "coming soon" on 26 Oct 2026 |
| A few days before | Start your store page broadcast and check it plays | Fix it while traffic is low |
| 17 Dec 2026, 10am Pacific | Winter Sale starts | Broadcast already live |
| 4 Jan 2027, 10am Pacific | Winter Sale ends | Keep the broadcast on to the end |
Sources: Steam Winter Sale 2026, Upcoming Steam Events, Discounting. Checked 26 Oct 2026. Valve updates these pages; the Steamworks docs always win.
What the Winter Sale is
Steam runs four seasonal sales a year: Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter. Valve says they take over the Steam store in a big way, and every game on Steam is invited to take part with a discount. The Winter Sale also carries the Steam Awards vote, so players come back to the store more than once over the 18 days. You do not need an invitation or a registration form: setting a discount for the sale is how you join.
Can your game join?
Two of Valve's rules still bite. A game cannot be discounted in the 30 days after its release, and Early Access counts as a release too. A game also cannot be discounted in the 30 days after a base price increase in any currency. Valve states that seasonal sales are not exempt from either rule.
So if you want a discount in the Winter Sale, release and finish any price increase by 17 November 2026. If your launch is planned for late November or early December, you can still release during that window, but the game will sit at full price through the sale. Some developers move their release date for this reason; others prefer to launch into the traffic without a discount.
The 30-day discount cooldown does not apply
Normally a game needs 30 days between the end of one discount and the start of the next. Valve exempts the four seasonal sales from that cooldown, before and after. You can run a discount in late November, for example during a themed fest, and still join the Winter Sale on 17 December. Check the Steam events calendar for the fests in between.
Pick the discount
Get the store page ready
Wishlist emails and the sale lists send people to your store page, so it has to sell the game on its own. Before 17 December:
Put a broadcast on the store page
A store page broadcast plays gameplay at the top of your page, so visitors see the game move before they scroll. During a sale, that is the moment most new people look (and what about the sale page itself). Valve's broadcasting docs set who may broadcast: a non-limited Steam account with broadcast permission that can play the game. The broadcast setup checklist covers it step by step, and broadcasts and wishlists explains why it helps.
You do not need a PC running at home for 18 days. Loopcast loops an uploaded video onto your store page from our servers. A stream uses one minute of balance per minute on air. The sale is 25,920 minutes long, and the $20 pack (46,080 minutes) covers it with room for a test run first. See pricing.
Start the broadcast a few days before 17 December. If something is wrong with the account, the video or the permission, you find out while traffic is still low.
Common mistakes
After the sale
The next seasonal sale on Valve's calendar is the Spring Sale, 18 to 25 March 2027, and Steam Next Fest runs 22 February to 1 March 2027. The events calendar lists every sale and festival through July 2027.
FAQ
When is the Steam Winter Sale 2026?
Valve lists the Steam Winter Sale 2026 as 17 December 2026 to 4 January 2027, starting and ending at 10am Pacific. That is 18 days of sale.
What is the last day to release a game and still be in the Winter Sale?
17 November 2026. Valve does not allow a discount in the 30 days after a release, and seasonal sales are not exempt from that rule, so a game released after 17 November cannot be discounted when the sale starts.
Does the 30-day discount cooldown stop me from joining?
No. The four seasonal sales are exempt from the 30-day cooldown between discounts, so you can run a discount shortly before or after the Winter Sale and still join it. The cooldowns after a release and after a base price increase still apply.
How big does my discount have to be?
Steam allows discounts from 10% to 95%. Valve says a discount of 20% or more can automatically trigger wishlist notifications, so most developers who want wishlist emails go to 20% or higher.
Can I join the Winter Sale with an unreleased game or a demo?
A discount needs a released game with a price. An unreleased game or a demo cannot be discounted, but its store page still gets visitors during the sale, so wishlists and a store page broadcast still help.
Do I need a PC running at home to broadcast during the sale?
No. A cloud service such as Loopcast loops an uploaded video onto your store page from its servers, so nothing at home has to stay on for the 18 days.
You can try Loopcast free for 7 days, no card needed, and see the broadcast on your page before the sale starts.