Steam Auto-Battler RPG Fest 2026 (Nov 16–23): dates and auto-battler deals
Short answer: Steam Auto-Battler RPG Fest 2026 runs November 16 – 23, 2026. That is 28 days from today. Valve has announced the dates, but the exact start and end times are TBA. It is a themed fest for auto-battler games, not a Steam-wide sale. Updated .
Dates from Valve's Steamworks calendar (Steamworks; calendar also on upcoming events). Also listed in Valve's second-half 2026 events announcement. We never invent facts about specific demos or unlisted discounts.
What is Steam Auto-Battler RPG Fest?
The Steam Auto-Battler RPG Fest is Valve's themed fest for auto-battlers: in Valve's words, "games where the battles play themselves out – but you have to upgrade your units to win." Think lineup building, merging and upgrading units, then watching the fight resolve. It is a themed fest on Steam, not a Steam-wide seasonal sale like Autumn or Winter: only eligible auto-battler games take part, and each developer decides whether to discount.
Dates
| Edition | Dates | Start time | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | November 16 – 23, 2026 | TBA | in 28 days |
Start and end time
Valve has announced the dates (November 16 – 23, 2026) but not the exact start and end times yet, so we don't show a time-zone table. For comparison, Valve's published start time for both Steam Next Fest (October 19) and Steam Scream V (October 26) is 10 AM Pacific. We'll add your local start and end time here as soon as Valve confirms this fest's times.
What Valve's rules mean for players
- It's for auto-battlers: Valve's eligibility line is "games where the battles play themselves out – but you have to upgrade your units to win."
- A game has to be primarily about the theme. A game that only has an auto-battle mode or mini-game doesn't qualify, and Valve picks eligible games from their Steam tags and how the store page describes them.
- Discounts aren't required. The fest page features discounted games most prominently, with separate sections for free-to-play games, demos and upcoming games.
- Developers enter their fest discount before the fest starts, and Valve recommends its official discount, which covers the whole event.
- Themed fests follow Steam's normal cooldown between discounts with no exceptions (only the four big seasonal sales are exempt), so a game discounted recently may not be on sale this week.
- Games taking part usually show a fest banner on their Steam store page while the fest runs.
From Valve's Steamworks rules for all themed fests.
Tips
Open the fest hub when it goes live
Valve promotes themed fests on the Steam homepage and splits the fest page into sections such as discounted games, free-to-play games, demos and upcoming games.
Compare fest prices to all-time lows
A fest discount is not always a record low. Use our buy-or-wait pages before you buy.
Try free-to-play and demo auto-battlers first
Themed fests include free-to-play games and demos, so you can test whether a game's auto-battle loop clicks before paying.
Wishlist what you skip
If an auto-battler is still too expensive during the fest, wishlist it so Steam notifies you on the next cut — and our daily email catches authorized-store drops too.
Auto-battler games we track
None of the 634 Steam games we track is primarily an auto-battler yet, judging by Steam's own user tags (Auto Battler has to be one of a game's five main tags). So there are no prices to compare here today, and we don't pad the list with other genres. 1 tracked game (Vampire Survivors) carries the Auto Battler tag only as a minor tag, so we leave it out. To browse every auto-battler on Steam, use Steam's Auto Battler tag page; during the fest, Valve's fest hub lists the games taking part. This section fills in automatically, with best authorized-store price, all-time low and a buy-or-wait verdict, as soon as we track a game whose main Steam tags include Auto Battler. Checked .
Meanwhile: PC games at their all-time low today · PC games under $10 · all buy-or-wait verdicts.
FAQ
When is the Steam Auto-Battler RPG Fest 2026?
Steam Auto-Battler RPG Fest 2026 runs November 16 – 23, 2026, per Valve's Steamworks calendar. Valve hasn't published the exact start and end times yet.
What is an auto-battler?
A game where fights play out on their own once they start. Your skill goes into the preparation: drafting, placing, merging and upgrading units between rounds. Valve's eligibility line for the fest is "games where the battles play themselves out – but you have to upgrade your units to win."
Is the Auto-Battler RPG Fest a Steam-wide sale?
No. It is a themed fest (like Cooking Fest or Steam Scream), not a seasonal sale such as Autumn or Winter. Only eligible auto-battler games take part, and a discount is optional for each developer.
Is the Auto-Battler RPG Fest live right now?
Not yet. It starts in 28 days: Steam Auto-Battler RPG Fest 2026 runs November 16 – 23, 2026. The exact start time is TBA.
Which auto-battlers does LootDrop track?
None yet. No game we track has Auto Battler as one of its main Steam tags today, so we don't list any rather than pad the page. Steam's Auto Battler tag page and the fest hub (once it's live) show the full lineup.
Should I wait for the fest to buy an auto-battler?
Not always. Check each game's all-time low on our buy-or-wait pages first. A fest discount is not automatically a record low, and the next store-wide sale is the Steam Winter Sale, December 17, 2026 to January 4, 2027.
See also: all Steam sale dates · Steam Next Fest · Steam Cooking Fest · Steam Scream Fest · Black Friday 2026 · bundles · free games · buy-or-wait verdicts.