Quick answer: Steam is not hosting a themed Black Friday fest in 2026. Official Steamworks docs say the Discounts & Events page will get dedicated Black Friday theming from Thursday, November 26 at 10 AM PT (12 PM CT) through Monday, November 30 at 10 AM PT (12 PM CT). The official Steamworks Development announcement on November 13 also says Steam Awards nominations (the 10th anniversary) are open in that same window, and that the usual discount cooldown still applies. The official Winter Sale is December 17, 2026 to January 4, 2027 at 10 AM PT (12 PM CT).
If you are waiting for a full Steam Black Friday sale, Valve is not running one this year. In a November 13 Steamworks Development announcement titled “Black Friday dates,” Steam said it is not hosting a themed fest of its own. Instead, it will give the Discounts & Events page the “Black Friday treatment” from Thursday, November 26 through Monday, November 30, with extra theming and artwork to mark what it called the kickoff to the holiday shopping season.
The official Upcoming Steam Events documentation puts exact hours on that window: November 26 at 10 AM PT through November 30 at 10 AM PT, which is 12 PM CT to 12 PM CT. During those days, the year-round Discounts & Events page gets dedicated theming and additional promotion on the Steam storefront. The same official announcement says this period is not exempt from Steam’s usual discount cooldowns, unlike a seasonal sale.
Because Steam is not running scheduled featuring over Black Friday, the official announcement says the Discounts & Events page can show any game that is on discount in that window, mixing popular and trending titles with personalized recommendations. The same approach will apply to the Discounts & Events section on Steam’s front page, where players will see discounts based on the kinds of games they are interested in, rather than a curated list. Curated Weekend Deals, Midweek Deals and Daily Deals are set to return after that period. Steam said it is still aiming to launch those Discounts & Events improvements more broadly in early 2027.
The official announcement also says nominations for the Steam Awards, marking the 10th anniversary, are open in that same November 26 to 30 window. It does not print a separate nomination start or end hour, so use that window as the official timing unless Steam posts a more specific schedule.
The next official seasonal sale is already on the calendar. Official Steamworks pages for the Steam Winter Sale 2026 say that event runs December 17, 2026 to January 4, 2027 at 10 AM PT (12 PM CT), and that it includes shopping and voting in the 2026 Steam Awards.
Sources: Official Steamworks Development announcement “Black Friday dates” (November 13, 2026), official Steamworks Upcoming Steam Events documentation for the November 26 to 30, 10 AM PT window, and official Steamworks pages for the Steam Winter Sale 2026 (December 17, 2026 to January 4, 2027 at 10 AM PT).
