It’s no exaggeration to say Steam is a big money-spinner for Valve. Bigger probably than many give it credit for. The store has long generated billions in gross revenue annually, and according to data from one analyst, this year might see the platform cross the threshold of bringing in over $20 billion.
These figures come from Alinea Analytics, which reports that Steam just had an absolutely massive September. In fact, it was the best on record for the company, raking in $1.6 billion, up 13% on 2025. Not too shabby.
Combined with the rest of the quarter, that’s $5.5 billion, bringing the grand total for 2026 thus far up to $16.5 billion – once again, up 13% from last year. “Given the insane release slate for the rest of the year, it’s safe to say Steam’s yearly revenue will blow past $20 billion for the first time,” Rhys Elliott, head of market analysis at Alinea, says in a blog post.
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Even without going any deeper, there are a lot of major games coming out this winter. Gears of War: E-Day, Star Wars: Galactic Racer, and Hellraiser: Revival are among the heavy-hitters for October, while November brings Gravhounds and Edge of Memories.
The schedule’s a bit lighter on the latter because of a little release from Rockstar, and before you suggest GTA 6 will do business for Valve‘s marketplace, remember it’s not launching on PC immediately. Still, plenty of potential in new releases, and that’s without considering how the likes of Resident Evil Requiem, Crimson Desert, and Slay the Spire 2 will continue to bring in fans.
Alinea found that Steam’s September was dominated by three games: Wardogs; Onimusha: Way of the Sword; and The Blood of Dawnwalker. A good mix, since two are fresh properties, and only one is multiplayer focused. Wardogs brought in around $86.9 million dollars during the month, not bad given it only started in early access on September 10.
Elliott mentions The Witcher 3 as a standout as well. The remaster is working as intended in drawing in players. “The Witcher 3 sold another 130K copies” across Steam, PS5 and Xbox Series X on Wednesday, he notes. “The most it’s sold in a day since The Witcher 3‘s first $3.99 Steam discount price back in summer 2024.”
Expect that to jump again when Songs of the Past arrives next year. In the meantime, we’ll see how Steam fares for the whole year. Rayman Legends Retold could be what tips it over the line.
