Valve is updating Steam's Discount & Events section to become more "dynamic and personalised"

Valve is updating the Steam Discount & Events section on its homepage and storefront to become more dynamic and personalized. This shift moves away from the current manual, calendar-based system to a new approach that will display ten times more games daily. The new system aims to improve discoverability, customer experience, and developer focus on creating compelling games and deals.

As part of this change, Valve will provide developers with new tools to better manage discounts and sale events. Valve believes this move aligns better with its goal and leads to a better experience for both customers and developers. The constraint of a manually managed calendar is less relevant given the diverse customer tastes and numerous relevant deals available at any given time.

The new system will be fully implemented in early 2027, though some developers have already noticed differences. Hooded Horse CEO Tim Bender pointed out that the Discount & Events section, which previously favored best-selling games, now showcases indie gems with fewer than 100 to a few thousand reviews. Smaller games that once received minimal traffic have seen significant increases, such as a 14,000 visit increase for one game and 16,000 visits for another.

This change benefits players by providing more relevant recommendations and helps developers by ensuring their games are shown to the right audience. Valve's recent update to its tagging system on Steam, introducing 17 new classifications and eliminating 28, also aims to help players find games that best match their interests and generate more appropriate recommendations.