You've probably been staring at your wishlist for months. It's a familiar ritual. You see a game like Elden Ring or Black Myth: Wukong and think, "I'll wait." We all do it. The wait is basically a test of patience against our own desire to play the latest hits. Honestly, the Steam Summer Sale 2025 is the only reason most of us have a backlog that could last three lifetimes.
Valve officially ran the Steam Summer Sale 2025 from June 26 to July 10, 2025. It kicked off at the usual 10:00 AM Pacific Time. If you missed it, well, you're looking at the history books now, but the patterns remain the same every year.
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Why the Steam Summer Sale 2025 was a big deal
Every year, people guess the dates. They look at leaks. They check "SteamDB" like it's the morning news. But for 2025, Valve was surprisingly upfront, announcing the schedule way back in February.
The sale lasted exactly 14 days. That is the standard "Valve fortnight."
What most people get wrong is thinking the deals change daily. They don't. They haven't for years. The price you see on day one is the price you get on the final day. The "Daily Deals" and "Flash Sales" of the 2010s are long gone, replaced by a massive, static library of discounts.
Real deals we saw in the June 2025 window
It wasn't just about 10% off. We saw some deep cuts. For instance, Mass Effect Legendary Edition hit that legendary 90% off mark again, making it about $5.99.
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (a 2025 breakout) dropped to $45.
- Monster Hunter Wilds saw its first real "major" discount down to $56.
- Cyberpunk 2077 stayed steady at its usual 50% off.
The "Deep Discounts" section was the real MVP of the Steam Summer Sale 2025. Valve curated a list of games with 85% to 95% price reductions. Titles like Black Mesa and Starlight were basically the price of a cheap coffee.
The Steam Deck factor
If you own a Deck, this sale was basically Christmas in July. Valve usually puts the LCD models on sale to move stock. During the 2025 event, we saw the 64GB and 512GB LCD versions get a 15% haircut.
The OLED? Not so much. Valve knows they don't have to discount the OLED yet to sell it.
People were obsessed with "Deck Verified" badges during the sale. You'd see a game like Kingdom Come: Deliverance II and immediately check the comments to see if it actually hit 30fps on the handheld. Spoiler: it's kinda rough on the battery, but it works.
Missing the 2025 window?
If you're reading this and realized you missed the July 10 deadline, don't panic. Steam is a cycle.
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The Steam Summer Sale 2025 was followed by the "Automation Fest" in late July and the "4X Fest" in August. But the next "Big Four" sale after summer is the Autumn Sale. For 2025, Valve actually shifted the Autumn Sale to run from September 29 to October 6. That’s a bit earlier than the traditional Black Friday slot they used to occupy.
A quick look at the 2025 roadmap:
- Spring Sale: March 13 – 20
- Summer Sale: June 26 – July 10
- Autumn Sale: September 29 – October 6
- Winter Sale: December 18 – January 5 (2026)
Expert tips for the next big event
Stop buying games just because they are 75% off. I know, it's hard. But if you aren't going to play it in the next 30 days, it will probably be the same price (or cheaper) during the Winter Sale.
Use sites like SteamDB to check the "Price History." If a game is currently $20 but has been $15 in the past, wait. Valve’s pricing is predictable. They almost never raise the "sale price" once a floor has been set.
Also, check the bundles. Often, the "Complete Your Collection" bundles give you an extra 10-20% off on top of the sale price if you already own the base game or some DLC. It's a sneaky way to save a few extra bucks that people usually overlook while scrolling the front page.
Your next move
Go to your Steam Wishlist right now. Sort it by "Price." Look for the games that hit their "All-Time Low." If you missed the Steam Summer Sale 2025, keep your eyes on the upcoming Autumn Sale starting September 29. Set a budget now so you don't overspend when the next wave of stickers and badges hits the storefront.