Steam Next Fest: October 2024 Edition is a multi-day celebration where fans can try out demos, chat with developers, watch live streams, and learn about upcoming games on Steam. For developers, Steam Next Fest is an opportunity to get early feedback from players and build an audience for a future launch on Steam.
The October 2024 edition runs October 14 at 10:00 AM PDT (UTC-7) to October 21 at 10:00 AM PDT (UTC-7).
For general information about Steam Next Fest, including details on registration, preparing your demo, running a livestream, trailer and demo gameplay usage, the Press Preview event, game visibility, and frequently asked questions, please visit the
Steam Next Fest parent documentation page.
Table of Contents
Important Dates
- May 22 - Join us on Zoom 10 - 11am PDT to have your questions answered live.
- August 28 - Join us on Zoom 10 - 11am PDT if you have questions about preparing to participate.
- September 2 - Registration Deadline (11:59pm PDT). We recommended you have your marketing materials as up-to-date as possible on your base game's store page by this time. This ensures your game will be in the best position to be considered for potential inclusion in official Steam Next Fest marketing materials (main event trailer, livestream, genre trailers, etc).
- September 2 - If you've been notified of official marketing materials inclusion consideration, this is the deadline to have your demo build approved and ready for release if you wish to remain in consideration for inclusion in official marketing materials.
- September 16 - Recommended date by which you should have your demo build and store assets submitted for review if you wish to release your demo for the press preview.
- September 25 - Join us on Zoom 10 - 11am PDT if you have questions about preparing to participate.
- September 30 - Recommended date by which you should have your demo build and store assets submitted for review to release your demo for Steam Next Fest.
- September 30 - If you've been notified of official marketing materials inclusion consideration and you have previously opted in to trailer and/or demo permissions, this is the deadline to opt out of trailer and/or demo permissions to ensure your trailer and/or demo will not be included in official marketing materials.
- October 3 - Press preview starts at 10am PDT.
- October 14 - Steam Next Fest: October 2024 begins at 10am PDT; set your demo live (or opt out if your plans have changed) before 10am PDT.
- October 21 - Steam Next Fest: October 2024 concludes.
- October 21 - Steam Next Fest: October 2024 Wrap-Up (featuring games with the most played demos of the Fest) launches.
Eligibility
Steam Next Fest: October 2024 is open to upcoming games that meet all of the following criteria:
- Associated with a Steamworks developer account in good standing
- Visible on Steam as Coming Soon at the time of registration
- Includes a publicly playable demo by the time the festival begins
- To be released after the conclusion of the fest on October 21, 2024
Please Note:- All upcoming games may participate with a playable demo in Steam Next Fest, regardless of release date.
- Choose the Steam Next Fest that works best for your release time. Once your demo participates in an edition, it may not appear in any future Steam Next Fests. The next edition planned is in February 2025.
See your list of eligible games here:
https://partner.steamgames.com/optin/sale/nextfest_oct_2024Asset Kit
Here you will be able to download a kit of images and templates to use in your own social media channels when telling your fans about your participation in Steam Next Fest. These images are designed to fit well with various social media channels and you are welcome to use these assets any time you are ready to let players know that you'll be part of Steam Next Fest. The hashtag for the event is #SteamNextFest.
Asset Kit available here: COMING SOON
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Are the the live zoom FAQ sessions recorded?A. Yes! You can check out our past live Q&A sessions on YouTube
here. These sessions cover a wide variety of topics to help you prepare for getting the most out of Steam Next Fest.
Q. I haven't received an email invitation and have a game I believe fits the eligibility criteria described above. How can I confirm whether my game has been invited and request an invitation if it has not been invited?A. If you haven't received an email invitation and believe you have a game that fits the eligibility criteria described above, please check:
If your game is not found via the paths above and you believe it meets the eligibility criteria, please use the appeals process available at the bottom of the
registration page.
If your game was found via the paths above but you didn't receive an email, please check your Steamworks communication preferences (instructions available in the
Steam Next Fest parent documentation page).
Q. I've changed my plans. How do I cancel my registration?A. Just return to the registration page for your game by inserting your base game's appID at the end of this URL
https://partner.steamgames.com/optin/sale/nextfest_oct_2024/<appid> and deselect the checkbox at the very bottom of the page to remove your game from the festival. After opting out, if you have not released your game prior to a future Steam Next Fest, you could participate in that one assuming the rest of the eligibility requirements are met.
Q. Where can I see more Frequently Asked Questions regarding Steam Next Fest?A. For general information about Steam Next Fest, including details on registration, preparing your demo, running a livestream, trailer and demo gameplay usage, the Press Preview event, game visibility, and frequently asked questions, please visit the
Steam Next Fest parent documentation page.
For general information about Steam Next Fest and FAQs, please visit the
Steam Next Fest parent documentation page.
Need Help?
Contact us here if you have questions regarding this event.
