Steam Black Friday: Is There a Sale and Where the Deals Are

Summary: Steam Black Friday this year is not a storewide seasonal sale. Valve moved the Autumn Sale to October 1 to 8, and for Black Friday week it plans to spotlight publisher discounts on the Special Offers hub instead. Black Friday is November 27, the next storewide sale is the Winter Sale from December 17, and a Steam gift card bought now can carry you through both.

• No storewide Steam Black Friday sale is on Valve's calendar this year.
• Valve will highlight Black Friday discounts set by developers and publishers.
• Last year's first black friday steam sale ran November 24 to December 1.
• The Winter Sale, December 17 to January 4, is the next storewide event.

Does Steam have a Black Friday sale this year? Not a storewide one. Steam Black Friday deals will still appear, because Valve has said it will send shoppers to the Special Offers hub to find games with Black Friday discounts, but the discounts are set game by game rather than across the whole store. Black Friday itself falls on Friday, November 27, with Cyber Monday on November 30.

Does Steam Have a Black Friday Sale?

For most of Steam's history the answer was no, because the Autumn Sale ran over Thanksgiving week and did the job instead. That changed when Valve moved the Autumn Sale to the start of autumn: it ran from September 29 to October 6 last year and from October 1 to 8 this year. People still search "does steam have a black friday sale" every November because the old timing stuck.

Our guide on when the next Steam sale starts lists every confirmed date for the rest of the season.

What Happened in Last Year's Steam Black Friday Sale

With the Autumn Sale gone from late November, Valve surprised players last year with its first-ever Steam Black Friday sale. It ran from November 24 to December 1 and covered thousands of games, including big releases such as Doom: The Dark Ages at 50% off. The 256GB Steam Deck LCD also dropped 20% to $319.

That steam black friday sale was a one-week event, much shorter than the summer or winter sales, and Valve did not put it on its calendar in advance.

Will Steam Have a Black Friday Sale This Year?

Valve's published schedule lists the Auto-Battler RPG Fest from November 16 to 23 and then nothing storewide until the Winter Sale. In its developer calendar Valve said it plans to highlight games running Black Friday discounts through the Special Offers hub in November. At least one deal tracker reports Valve has since dated that window November 26 to 30, so check the Special Offers page from Thanksgiving onwards.

So, will steam have a black friday sale? Expect plenty of steam black friday deals, but not a storewide black friday steam sale: discounts are set by each publisher, so some games will be cut deeply and others not at all.

When Does Steam Black Friday Start?

If Valve follows last year's pattern, discounts go live around Thanksgiving and run through Cyber Monday. Searches for "when does steam black friday start" spike in the week before, so check the Special Offers hub on November 26 rather than waiting for Friday.

Steam Deck Black Friday: What to Expect

Steam Deck Black Friday searches peak every year. Last year Valve cut the 256GB Steam Deck LCD by 20% to $319 for the week. It has not announced Steam Deck pricing for this year's Black Friday, and a Steam Deck OLED Black Friday discount has never been confirmed in advance, so treat any figure you see before Thanksgiving as a guess.

The Steam Deck itself is sold through Valve, but accessories such as microSD cards, docks and controllers are part of retail Black Friday sales at stores like Best Buy.

Steam Gift Card Black Friday Deals

Valve does not usually discount Steam Wallet codes, so a steam gift card black friday deal tends to come from the seller rather than from Steam. A Steam gift card is still useful this month: you can load your wallet before Black Friday, spend part of it on publisher discounts and keep the rest for the Winter Sale. It also works as a present for someone who would rather pick their own games.

Best Steam Black Friday Deals: How to Spot Them

• Check the price history on a tracker before buying; many "best steam black friday deals" lists repeat discounts seen in October.
• Compare the Black Friday price with the last seasonal low; if it is higher, wait for the Winter Sale.
• Look at bundles and deluxe editions separately, since they are often discounted differently from the base game.
• Wishlist games now so Steam emails you when a discount starts.

Steam is not the only PC store worth checking. Key stores such as Fanatical and DRM-free shops such as GOG.com usually run their own Black Friday promotions.

FAQ

Does Steam have a Black Friday sale?

Not a storewide one this year. Steam Black Friday discounts are set by publishers and highlighted on the Special Offers hub.

When does Steam Black Friday start?

Black Friday is November 27. Steam discounts are expected from around November 26, the day of Thanksgiving, through Cyber Monday.

Will the Steam Deck be on sale for Black Friday?

Valve has not said. Last year the Steam Deck Black Friday deal took 20% off the 256GB LCD model, while there was no Steam Deck OLED Black Friday discount.

Is it better to wait for the Steam Winter Sale?

Usually, yes, for games that are not in a publisher's Black Friday discount. The Winter Sale runs from December 17 to January 4 and covers the whole store.

Can I pay for Steam games with crypto?

Steam itself does not accept crypto, but you can buy a Steam gift card with crypto and add it to your wallet.

Plan Your Wishlist Around December 17

Steam Black Friday is a smaller event than it used to be: useful for the games a publisher chooses to cut, but not a replacement for the Winter Sale. Wishlist what you want, check the Special Offers hub over Thanksgiving weekend and keep some wallet balance for December. If you are topping up first, browse Steam gift cards.