Steam Summer Sale 2026: the best deals and our buying strategy

June 25, 7 p.m. Paris time. This is the date to mark. Steam Summer Sale 2026 starts that day and ends on July 9 at the same time. Two weeks of promotions on thousands of PC games — and as usual, the trap is to spend 200 bucks in 10 minutes on things we'll never launch.

This year, the timing is interesting. We are coming out of a pretty strong first half of 2026 in terms of releases: Crimson Desert, Subnautica 2, Paralives, Forza Horizon 6 on PC, 007 First Light... Lots of recent games that could already be discounted by -10% to -20% during the sales. And then there are the classics from 2024-2025 that will easily drop below €20.

We're not going to give you a list of 200 games randomly. The idea here is to target the real good deals by category, and above all to give you a method so you don't get ripped off. Because yes, even during the Steam sales, there are promotions that are not so interesting.

First reflex: look at the big recent releases. Games released between January and June 2026 will not have huge discounts — don't dream. But a -15% on a game at 70€, that's still over 10€ in savings. And some publishers are more generous than others.

Crimson Desert (69,99€) — Pearl Abyss is used to offering small discounts quite quickly after the launch. A -10% to -15% discount is likely. If you were still hesitating, now is the time.

Subnautica 2 (29.99€ in early access) — Unknown Worlds rarely offers discounts on early access during the first few months, but a surprise at -10% is not impossible given the game's popularity. Even without a promotion, at €30 it's fair.

Forza Horizon 6 (69.99€) — Microsoft tends to put -10% on its PC exclusives during big Steam sales, even recent ones. And if you have Game Pass, you already have it anyway.

Paralives (39.99€) — Small indie studio, recent early access. Little chance of immediate promotion, but still keep an eye out.

This is the real gold mine. Games that are 6 months to 2 years old often drop between -30% and -60% during the Summer Sales. In 2025, we had seen Cyberpunk 2077 at -65% , Elden Ring at -40% and Baldur's Gate 3 at -20% This year, there are many candidates for big discounts.

• Light Dark: Expedition 33 — Released in April 2025, acclaimed French JRPG. Probably around -30% to -40% this time.
• Space Marine 2 — The multiplayer has weakened a bit but the solo campaign is killer. Expect at least -40%.
• Resident Evil 4 Remake — Two years old now, it should drop to -50% or more.
• Dead Space Remake — It was already -80% last year. It could drop to 5-8€. A flight at this price.
• Path of Exile 2 — Free-to-play, but supporter packs and stash tabs could have discounts.

And then there are the classics that come back every year: The Witcher 3 at 3€, Halo Master Chief Collection less than 10€, Metro Exodus for a song. If you still have holes in your library, now is the time.

Steam sales are also the best time to discover indies that we would never have bought at full price. And often, these games offer more fun per euro than AAA.

Some names to type in the search bar from June 25th:

Jester — If you haven't touched it yet, get ready to lose 200 hours of your life for less than €5. Pure genius of roguelike based on poker. It's so addictive that you forget to eat.

Slay the Spire — The first, not the 2. It regularly drops below 5€ and remains one of the best deckbuilders ever created. The sequel is in early access and could also have a small promo.

Vampire Survivors — 2-3€ during sales for a game that will keep you busy for weeks. The game time / price ratio is completely insane.

Blasphemous 2 — Metroidvania pixel art brutal. The first one was at -90% last year, the 2 should be at -50% or more.

Lethal Company — The coop horror game that exploded at the end of 2023. It's the kind of thing you buy for €4 and launch with friends on a Saturday night without stopping.

The thing with indies during the Summer Sales is that discounts of 50% to 75% are common. With games priced at 3-8€, you take almost no risk.

One thing that many people forget: DLCs. If you already have a game and love it, it's often smarter to buy the expansions on sale rather than getting a new game that you may never start.

Some DLC to watch out for in particular:

• Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree — The DLC of the year 2024. If it drops to -30% or -40%, go for it without hesitation.
• Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty — The DLC that bought the game. If you don't have it yet, the game + DLC bundle could drop below 20€.
• Baldur's Gate 3 — No DLC but Deluxe editions are often discounted. And if you don't already own the base game, this is the opportunity.
• Total War and Paradox — The two publishers who push DLC to the extreme. During sales, complete packs of Stellaris, EU4, or Total War Warhammer 3 can go from 300€ to 60€. Seriously.

And the GOTY / Complete editions remain the best deal if you're new to a game. Buy The Witcher 3 Complete Edition at 3€ with the two extensions, it's 200h of content for the price of a coffee. Hard to do better.

Steam sales are no longer the flash deals of 2014 where you had to refresh the page every 8 hours. Now, prices remain fixed throughout the event. It changes everything in terms of strategy.

1. Prepare your wishlist BEFORE June 25th. Add all the games that interest you to your Steam wishlist. On the big day, you'll see the crossed-out prices directly on your personal page instead of scrolling for 3 hours.

2. Check the price history. A game at -30% is cool... unless it was already at -40% two months ago. Go to SteamDB or IsThereAnyDeal to see if the displayed price is really the lowest historical. In 30 seconds you know if it's a real deal or just smoke and mirrors.

3. Set yourself a budget. It sounds silly when you put it like that. But when you see 15 games at -70%, the brain switches to "it's cheap so it's free" mode. Set a maximum amount — 30€, 50€, 100€, whatever — and stick to it.

4. Prioritize publisher bundles. It's the hack that few people use. Editor packs (like the Bethesda pack, the Rockstar pack, the Capcom pack) often offer additional discounts compared to individual purchases. Sometimes 5-10% off. And if you already own some games from the pack, Steam automatically deducts their price.

• The game in early access at full price — No promo, and the game is not finished. Except for exceptions (Subnautica 2, Paralives), wait for the final release.
• The -90% on an abandoned game — A game for €1 is tempting. But if it hasn't had an update since 2023 and the reviews are "Mostly Negative," it's €1 too much.
• Buy a game that you will never read — We all have 200+ uninstalled Steam games. Before clicking "Add to cart", ask yourself: "Will I play it this month?" If the answer is no, it will still be there at the next sales.
• Ignore third-party keys — Sites like Humble Bundle, Fanatical or GreenManGaming sometimes offer prices lower than those on Steam, even during sales. Compare before buying.

With 10€, you can grab 2-3 solid games. Dead Space Remake (~8€), Vampire Survivors (~2€), and you still have enough for a Blasphemous or a Hollow Knight. That's 100+ hours of gameplay for the price of an upgraded kebab.

This is the optimal budget. You can afford a recent big AAA (Space Marine 2 or Clair Obscur) plus a few indies. Or you can take a Paradox/Total War editor pack and have enough to play for 6 months.

If you have the budget, take advantage of it to catch up on the 2026 releases with a small discount (Crimson Desert, Forza Horizon 6) and grab the DLCs you hadn't taken (Shadow of the Erdtree, Phantom Liberty). And keep 10-15€ for last-minute favorites - there's always a random game that you discover on page 7 of the results and blows you away.

The June 25, 2026 at 7:00 PM French time (10:00 AM Pacific time). It ends at the July 9, 2026 at the same time.

No. Since 2015, Steam has removed flash deals and daily deals. The price you see on day 1 is the same on day 14. No need to get up at 3 am.

Use SteamDB (steamdb.info) or IsThereAnyDeal (isthereanydeal.com). These sites show you the complete price history of a game on all platforms. If the current price is the lowest historical, it's a good deal.

Yes. Steam's refund policy applies the same: less than 2 hours of play and less than 14 days after purchase So you can test a game on sale and get a refund if you don't like it. However, if you buy a game and it goes on an even lower sale right after (during the same sale), no refund for the difference. But since the prices are fixed, it doesn't happen anymore.

Yes, it's not exclusive. A game can be on Game Pass AND on sale on Steam at the same time. If you want to own the game rather than rent it through a subscription, Steam sales remain relevant even if you have Game Pass.

The Steam Summer Sale 2026 looks solid, mainly thanks to the quantity of big releases from the first semester that will have their first discounts. Crimson Desert at -10%, Space Marine 2 at -40%, Dead Space Remake under 10€ — plenty to enjoy without breaking the bank.

The real advice we can give you: prepare your wishlist now, set your budget, and only buy what you will use in the next 30 days. The rest will be even cheaper during the autumn sales.

Good sales.