This article may include affiliate links that earn us a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Steam’s Record September Brought In an Estimated $1.7 Billion
Steam brought in an estimated $1.7 billion in September 2026, its biggest September on record.
Alinea Analytics estimates put the total 13% above the previous September record, set in 2025. The figures are estimates, not financial results from Valve, a private company that does not publish Steam’s full store revenue.
Older games brought in most of the money
Among Steam’s 500 highest-grossing games in September, releases from earlier years earned 66.4% of revenue. Games released in 2026 accounted for the other 33.6%.
Established franchises also had a much larger share than new intellectual properties. Alinea says established properties earned 79.5% of revenue among the top 500 games, while new properties released in 2026 accounted for 20.5%.
Free-to-play games made up 25.6% of revenue in the same group. Counter-Strike 2, Apex Legends, PUBG, and Dota 2 brought in nearly $168 million combined, according to Alinea. The spending comes from purchases tied to the games, such as in-game content, rather than paid downloads.
September’s biggest new paid games
Alinea’s estimates put these new premium releases at the top for September:
| Game | Estimated revenue |
|---|---|
| Wardogs | $86.9 million |
| Onimusha: Way of the Sword | $30.4 million |
| The Blood of Dawnwalker | $26.9 million |
Wardogs entered Early Access on September 10.
Alinea expects Steam to pass $20 billion
Steam also had its best third quarter. Alinea estimates revenue reached $5.5 billion from July through September, up 12% from the same quarter in 2025.
Estimated revenue for the first nine months of 2026 reached $16.5 billion, compared with $14.5 billion a year earlier. With three months left, Steam would need more than $3.5 billion in estimated fourth-quarter revenue to pass $20 billion.
Alinea expects Steam to clear that mark for the first time in 2026, though the annual total is still a forecast. September’s record shows the growth is spread across new paid releases, older games, established franchises, and long-running free-to-play titles.
