Steam won’t have a store-wide Black Friday sale in 2026, but it will have a Black Friday deals page. Valve told developers in July that in November it will be “highlighting games doing Black Friday discounts by directing traffic to the Special Offers hub”, with dates still to come. Publishers set the discounts, so expect a themed deals page, not a Winter Sale-style event. Black Friday is November 27.
- Steam Black Friday sale 2026: not a Valve seasonal sale. A Black Friday section on the Special Offers hub in November, dates not announced yet (checked October 30, 2026, 10:20 UTC).
- Last year: Valve ran “Black Friday special offers” from November 24 to December 1, 2025. Many outlets called it Steam’s first Black Friday sale.
- Next store-wide sale: the Winter Sale, December 17, 2026 to January 4, 2027.
Table of Contents
Is there a Steam Black Friday sale in 2026?
Only in the looser sense. Valve’s Steamworks events calendar has no Black Friday entry; its next seasonal sale is the Winter Sale on December 17. But Valve’s July 15 post to developers added a line under November: “We’ll be highlighting games doing Black Friday discounts by directing traffic to the Special Offers hub. Specific dates and details to come.”
That means Black Friday deals on Steam will be gathered on the Special Offers page, and only games whose publishers choose to discount will be there. Valve hasn’t said whether its own games or the Steam Deck will be cut.
What Steam’s Black Friday sale looked like in 2025
Valve moved the Autumn Sale out of Thanksgiving week in 2025, and it explained the change in a July 2025 Steamworks post: “Though Steam will not be hosting a Black Friday sale of its own, we will have Black Friday special offers on our Discounts and Events page from November 24 through December 1st.”
The deals went live in that window, and Kotaku and other outlets reported it as Steam’s first-ever Black Friday sale. The 2025 Steam Awards nominations ran the same week; 2026 dates aren’t out yet.
Valve's art for its September 29 post on changing the Discounts & Events section, where Black Friday deals appear. Image: Valve
Black Friday or the Winter Sale: when are Steam deals better?
Steam’s discount rules matter here. Under Valve’s discounting rules, a game “cannot be discounted within 30 days of another discount”. Only the four seasonal sales are exempt. Fests and Black Friday offers aren’t, and Valve said in 2025 that joining Black Friday Special Offers “triggers the usual discount cooldowns”.
In practice, a game whose Scream V discount ends on November 2 can’t start a new one until early December, so it misses Black Friday. The same goes for games discounted in mid-November. All of them can still join the Winter Sale, because seasonal sales are exempt.
| Steam event | Dates (2026) | Type | 30-day cooldown? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam Scream V | Now until Nov 2 | Themed fest (horror) | Yes |
| Auto-Battler RPG Fest | Nov 16 to Nov 23 | Themed fest | Yes |
| Black Friday on the Special Offers hub | November, dates TBA | Publisher discounts, Valve-themed page | Yes |
| Steam Winter Sale | Dec 17 to Jan 4, 2027 | Seasonal sale (store-wide) | No, exempt |
Our take: grab a Black Friday price on Steam if it’s a game you want now. If you can wait, the Winter Sale is the one event every game on Steam is invited to, and the cooldown doesn’t apply. Our full Steam sale calendar through summer 2027 has every fest date.
Which PC stores have Black Friday game sales?
Other PC stores run real Black Friday sales. None has 2026 dates yet; here’s what each confirmed last year.
| Store | Black Friday 2025 (official) | 2026 status |
|---|---|---|
| Epic Games Store | Black Friday & Cyber Monday Premium Editions Sale, Nov 18 to Dec 2 (11 a.m. ET), up to 80% off, 20% back in Epic Rewards | Not announced |
| GOG | Black Friday Sale posted Nov 25, more than 7,500 offers up to 95% off, ended Dec 3 at 08:00 UTC | Not announced |
| Green Man Gaming | Black Friday sales on its blog in 2017 and 2022-2024 (2024: more than 4,000 deals); no 2025 post there. Sells Steam keys | Not announced |
Epic’s 2025 sale started on November 18, ten days before Black Friday, so its 2026 sale could also open mid-month. GOG’s 2025 sale opened three days before Black Friday. Console and retailer dates are in our Black Friday 2026 gaming deals hub.
Epic's 2025 Black Friday sale started ten days before Black Friday. Image: Epic Games
How to get Steam games cheaper on Black Friday
- Wishlist what you want. Steam emails you when a wishlisted game goes on sale.
- Compare key stores. Green Man Gaming and Fanatical sell Steam keys, so their Black Friday prices can beat Steam’s for the same game.
- Check free games. Our free games this week page lists Epic’s weekly giveaways with end times.
- Expect fewer front-page “Daily Deals”. In a September 29 post, Valve said it has paused scheduling Daily, Midweek and Weekend Deal placements while it moves the Discounts & Events section to personalized picks.
Want deals now? Our Steam Scream Fest guide covers the horror sale running until November 2 at 10 a.m. PT (18:00 UTC).
FAQ
Does Steam do Black Friday sales?
Since 2025, yes, in a limited way. Valve themes its Special Offers page for Black Friday and publishers set their own discounts. It isn’t a store-wide seasonal sale like the Summer or Winter Sale.
When is Black Friday 2026?
Friday, November 27, 2026. Cyber Monday is November 30. In 2025, Steam’s Black Friday offers ran from the Monday before to the Monday after.
When is the Steam Winter Sale 2026?
December 17, 2026 to January 4, 2027, according to Valve’s calendar. Valve’s Winter Sale page gives 10 a.m. Pacific (18:00 UTC) for the start and end.
Sources: Steamworks upcoming events calendar, discounting rules and developer announcements (July 25, 2025; July 15 and September 29, 2026), Valve’s Steam News (Scream V, 2025 Steam Awards), Epic Games Store, GOG, Green Man Gaming blog, Kotaku. Checked October 30, 2026.
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Featured image: Valve
