Steam is about to get a huge drop of free downloads, mark your calendars

Good news, PC gamers: Steam is about to drop a load of free downloads.

Roughly three times a year, Valve holds an event called Steam Next Fest, a week-long celebration of games that encourages participation from the audience.

During this time, players can download free demos for new and upcoming games, as well as watch dozens of livestreams from the developers of these games.

These games are typically indies and AA titles, but AAA releases can also receive demos during this time.

Steam Next Fest usually occurs just before a large sale, such as the Steam Spring sale, Summer sale, and Winter sale, so your wishlist is already prepared by the time the discounts roll in.

We now have confirmation of when the next Steam Next Fest will take place, and it’s close.

Steam Next Fest will begin on 9th June, 2025, and runs until 16th June. See the official page here if you want to set a reminder for when it starts.

Expect to play demos for hundreds of games, so if you only have a limited amount of time, it’s best to choose what you’re most interested in and try to set aside some time to check out the demos.

In my opinion, it’s best to treat Steam Next Fest like a public trade show. These are fun if you go along and play what you think looks interesting, rather than looking for something specific.

Every time Steam Next Fest occurs, I’d say I find time to play about 30 demos, and half of them get added to my wishlist.

After Next Fest ends on the 16th, the Steam Summer sale will begin on the 26th June.

The sale will run until 10th July, which is plenty of time to rinse your wallet with all the new games you added to your wishlist.