Steam discount cooldown planner: when the next discount is allowed

Worked example: Pebblewick's next discount

The planner opens with illustrative inputs for Pebblewick, the fictional demo game by Hollow Fern Games: release on 15 September 2026 with a launch discount of 7 days, and a custom discount that ended on 2 November 2026. The release wait ended on 15 October 2026 and the launch discount's on 22 October 2026, so the custom discount decides: the next one can start on 2 December 2026. The game can join Winter Sale 2026, Spring Sale 2027, Summer Sale 2027, because seasonal sales ignore the discount cooldown.

Method

1. Release wait: release date + 30 days. The only discount allowed before it is a launch discount set up before release.
2. Launch discount: it ends 7 to 14 days after release, and the next discount waits 30 days from that end. A length outside that range is treated as no launch discount.
3. Last discount: its end + 30 days. Daily, Midweek, Weekend and Weeklong Deals count like a custom discount.
4. Last price increase in any currency: its date + 30 days. Price decreases do not start a wait.
5. The next custom discount can start on the latest of these dates. Steam schedules custom discounts from the next calendar day at the earliest.
6. Seasonal sales: a game can join if it was released at least 30 days before the sale starts and is not in a price-increase wait on the start day. Earlier discounts do not matter, and a seasonal sale discount does not start a new wait.

Assumptions and sources

The planner lists only the seasonal sales Valve has published dates for. Valve lists the Autumn Sale 2027 without dates, so it is left out until Valve's Upcoming events page dates it.

Limits

• Dates are calendar days. Valve's examples start and end deals at 10 a.m. Pacific time, so near midnight the day in another time zone can differ.
• A custom discount set on the same dates as a seasonal sale does not get the seasonal exception; only the discount Valve creates for the sale in the Discount Management Dashboard does.
• Themed fests and curated promotions have their own entry rules and invitations, which are outside the planner.
• Valve can change the rules and dates. The page shows the date they were last checked.

With your own calendar

The SteamStats Calendar puts Steam's seasonal sales and festivals next to the game's own discounts and launch date, counts the days until a new discount is allowed and marks each Steam event Eligible or Not eligible. The forecast adds planned discounts to its outlook. Discount history and the forecast use the game's sales data, part of Indie, Studio, and Publisher.

Sources

• Steamworks: Discounting · checked November 1, 2026
• Steamworks: Upcoming events and seasonal sales · checked November 1, 2026
• Steamworks: Wishlists · checked November 1, 2026