The first Steam Next Fest of 2026 is officially here, with the current celebration of upcoming PC games on Valve's platform now live as of February 13.
With the event running until March 2, you have the chance to try out demos for some of the biggest new games like Pragmata, as well as an exciting lineup of upcoming indie games. So, if you're looking to build up your wishlist, or you've been hoping to try out some future releases before they arrive, now's the perfect time to do just that.
As last year proved, it's always well worth exploring Steam while the Next Fest is around. With some fantastic demos drop during Steam Next Fest events in 2025 - such as indie Metroidvania Constance, to the come back of the strategy series Heroes of Might and Magic with the upcoming prequel, Olden Era - you never know what you'll find. So, if you're looking to get stuck in or prepare for future events, then we've got you covered (and if you want to bag some bargains this year, be sure to check out our guide to all of the Steam Sales). Below, you'll find a helpful breakdown of everything you need to know when it comes to Steam Next Fest.
What is Steam Next Fest?
Steam Next Fest is a week-long event that celebrates upcoming games by letting players download exciting new demos and watch live streams of future titles from developers.
It's during this event that Steam users will get the chance to populate their wishlists and potentially join more communities to support the release of their favorite games discovered during the multi-day time period.
This is also a recurring event that happened three times throughout 2025. Steam Next Fests appear just before the Steam Spring sale, Summer sale, and Winter sale, so by the time discounts start coming in, you have a clear idea of all the games you'll want to pick up when the time comes.
When is Steam Next Fest?
The current Steam Next Fest kicked off on February 23, 2026, and runs until March 2.
That's right, Valve's latest celebration of upcoming games is now underway, with a host of demos now live to try out. To participate in the Next Fests, you'll of course need to have a Steam account (which is free to create). So, if you plan on installing a bunch of demos, make sure that you're signed up and get ready to install plenty of demo goodness.
To see an overview of all the confirmed events coming our way so far, you can find all the 2026 Steam Next Fest dates below:
- February 23 – March 2, 2026
- June 15 - June 22, 2026
- October 19 - October 26, 2026
Are demos free during Steam Next Fest?
The good news is that all the demos during Steam Next Fest are free. All you need to do is sign into your Steam Account and click the green "download" button on the game you wish to investigates store page.
There is no limit to the amount of demos you can play during the event, and you can also replay demos as much as you want without worrying about encountering some kind of paywall. Keep in mind, though, that while the demos may be free, the full game probably won't be once it releases in the future.
Is Steam Next Fest a sale?
Technically, Steam Next Fest isn't a sale. However, we do normally see some discounts go live during this time. Steam Next Fest is focused on devs showcasing their future games and giving space for players to see the title's progress and potentially wishlist new games after installing demos.
Any discounts that are typically around Next Fest are unrelated and more likely due to the opportunity to garner more sales, as teams know that there will be more active users exploring the Steam Store page during the week-long event.
The next big Steam sale is the Spring sale, which begins on March 19. So, if you are after discounts instead of free demos, be sure to check it out before it ends on March 26, 2026. In the meantime, you can check out our list of all the best free Steam games currently available to play today.
For more titles, read our list of the best PC games, or check out our ranking of the best laptop games available right now.
