PC GAMING · DATES TO KNOW
The Steam Autumn Sale 2026 runs October 1–8. Three games already have announced offers covering that week. Here are the dates, the discounts and the official pages to keep handy.
Checked September 18, 2026 · Dates from Valve’s official seasonal sale schedule.
YOUR OCTOBER GAME PLAN
Wishlist now.
Choose well later.
Autumn Sale
Compare prices on your shortlist
Next Fest
Explore demos of upcoming games
2026 dates · Original guide graphic by Next Up Guide · Not official Steam artwork
When does the Steam Autumn Sale start?
Valve lists October 1 as the opening date and October 8 as the closing date. The seasonal schedule we checked gives dates, but no opening or closing hour for this sale. Check the live store offer for the exact ending time in your region.
On October 1, open Steam and look at the actual price of the game you want. A date on a calendar doesn’t tell you whether a particular edition has gone on sale. Discounts are set by participating publishers; don’t assume every game will be reduced.
Open the official Steam store ↗The Autumn Sale has not started yet. This link opens the Steam homepage.
| Game | Base-game discount | Announced dates |
|---|---|---|
| Whispers in the Moss | 80% | Oct 1–8 |
| Lost Castle 2 | 30% | Sep 23–Oct 9 |
| Magicraft | 25% | Sep 23–Oct 9 |
The latter two are publisher promotions overlapping the Autumn Sale. These are announced discounts, not a full lineup or a ranking of the best deals. Sources are linked with each game below.
Which games already have announced discounts?
These three games have publisher announcements covering the Autumn Sale period. Treat this as an early shortlist, not the full sale lineup. The percentages below are announced offers; open each Steam page for the price in your region when its promotion begins.
Whispers in the Moss — 80% off announced
This is the unusual-looking one: a retro JRPG built with text-based graphics and turn-based battles. If that visual style catches your eye, the Steam page also offers a demo.
The developer announced 80% off for October 1–8. Its September Party-Based RPG Fest discount is a separate promotion, so a sale badge visible now should not be mistaken for the Autumn Sale starting early. Source: “Party-Based RPG Fest + Steam Autumn Sale 2026,” September 11.
See Whispers in the Moss ↗Lost Castle 2 — 30% off announced
Prefer side-scrolling action to turn-based combat? Lost Castle 2 is a 2D beat ’em up rogue-lite with weapons, loot and monster encounters.
The official crossover announcement lists 30% off the base game from September 23–October 9. That is the publisher’s promotion window, which overlaps the October 1–8 Steam Autumn Sale. Source: “Collaboration Confirmed: Lost Castle 2 x Magicraft.”
See Lost Castle 2 on Steam ↗Magicraft — 25% off announced
Magicraft takes the spell-building route: its roguelike action revolves around combining spells into different effects. It is worth a closer look if experimenting with combinations is what you enjoy.
The same official crossover announcement lists 25% off the base game for September 23–October 9. Cosmetic DLC has a separate advertised discount; the 25% figure here refers to the base game.
See Magicraft on Steam ↗Descriptions are based on the official store pages, not our hands-on reviews. The publisher’s September 23–October 9 notice does not specify a time zone; use the live store offer for the exact local ending time.
Before you add a game to your cart
Check the exact edition, any required base game and the system requirements. A discounted DLC pack is not necessarily the full game.
Compare the final price, too. For example, a hypothetical $60 deluxe edition at 50% off costs $30, while a $40 standard edition at 40% off costs $24. Choose the extras you want, not just the larger percentage.
Autumn Sale or Next Fest—which date do you need?
They are separate events. The Autumn Sale, October 1–8, is the one to watch for discounts. Next Fest, October 19–26, focuses on demos and discovering upcoming games, with developer streams also available.
If your question is “When can I look for a deal on a game I already want?”, start with the Autumn Sale. If it is “What could I try before choosing my next game?”, put Next Fest on your calendar too.
Source: Valve’s October 2026 Next Fest announcement. It lists that event’s start and end at 10 a.m. PDT; those hours should not be treated as confirmation of the Autumn Sale’s hours.
Bought a game just before it goes on sale?
Steam’s refund policy says requesting a refund and then buying the same game at its sale price is not considered abuse. For games bought directly on Steam, the standard conditions are a request within 14 days of purchase and less than two hours of playtime. That is a refund request, not an automatic price adjustment.
DLC and bundles have additional conditions, and Valve cannot refund a purchase made outside Steam. Read the official refund policy for your purchase, then use Steam Support if you need to submit a request.
Go to Steam Support ↗What about waiting for the Winter Sale?
Valve has scheduled the next Winter Sale for December 17, 2026–January 4, 2027. That gives you another date to consider if nothing fits your budget in October. It does not guarantee that a particular game will be cheaper then.
Our suggestion: set a price you are comfortable with, buy only if the right edition meets it, and leave the rest on your wishlist. You don’t need to turn every sale into a shopping trip.
We checked Valve’s published schedules and refund policy on September 18, 2026. The game offers above are publisher announcements, not our hands-on reviews or a complete list of sale deals. Event dates may change; the linked official pages are the sources for the schedule. Next Up Guide is independent and is not affiliated with Valve or Steam.
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