Steam / Practical guide
Best-Selling Steam Games 2026: Every Gold-Tier Release by Month, From Valve's Own Data
Valve publishes which new releases earned the most each month, but spreads it over nine separate pages. Here is all of 2026 so far in one place, plus the current weekly chart and last year's Platinum tier.
ALVIRAN Editorial · Reviewed 2026-10-23
In this guide
Steam accounts that already own Subnautica 2
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Best-selling Steam games 2026: every Gold-tier release, January to September
Each month Valve publishes a "Top Releases" page: the top 50 products released that month, by revenue. It splits them into Gold (the top 12), Silver (the next 12) and Bronze (the rest), and sorts each tier randomly. The table below is every Gold entry from the nine 2026 pages, read from Valve's GetMonthTopAppReleases data on 23 October 2026 and checked against the rendered September page. Within a month, the order of names carries no rank.
| Month | Games in Gold | DLC in Gold |
|---|---|---|
| January | Cairn, StarRupture (EA), Code Vein II, Half Sword (EA), LORT (EA), Pathologic 3, The Legend of Heroes: Trails beyond the Horizon, Quarantine Zone: The Last Check, Heartopia (free) | Cult of the Lamb: Woolhaven, Dynasty Warriors: Origins Visions of Four Heroes, Dead by Daylight: Stranger Things Chapter 2 |
| February | Resident Evil Requiem, Mewgenics, Nioh 3, REANIMAL, MENACE (EA), Dragon Quest VII Reimagined, Diablo II: Resurrected - Infernal Edition, Star Trek: Voyager - Across the Unknown, Roadside Research (EA), YAPYAP, Super Battle Golf | Poppy Playtime - Chapter 5 |
| March | Slay the Spire 2 (EA), Crimson Desert, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, Marathon, Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection, John Carpenter's Toxic Commando, Everwind (EA), Retro Rewind - Video Store Simulator, The Seven Deadly Sins: Origin (free), WWE 2K26, RACCOIN: Coin Pusher Roguelike | Ready or Not: Boiling Point |
| April | PRAGMATA, Windrose (EA), Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era (EA), Far Far West (EA), MOUSE: P.I. For Hire, Vampire Crawlers, REPLACED, Road to Vostok (EA), Invincible VS, s&box, BidKing | Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 - BlackCell (Season 03) |
| May | Subnautica 2 (EA), Forza Horizon 6, 007 First Light, LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight, Paralives (EA), Mina the Hollower, Deep Rock Galactic: Rogue Core (EA), Dead as Disco (EA), Romestead (EA), Farever (EA), Everything is Crab, Gamble With Your Friends | None |
| June | MECCHA CHAMELEON, Gothic 1 Remake, SAND: Raiders of Sophie (EA), Fatekeeper (EA), Witchspire (EA), Solarpunk, Voidling Bound, The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales, Burglin' Gnomes, Road to Empress II | F1 25: 2026 Season Pack, Dave the Diver - In the Jungle Content Pack |
| July | Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced, Halo: Campaign Evolved, EA Sports College Football 27, Echoes of Aincrad, Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game, Mistfall Hunter, Shift At Midnight, The Mound: Omen of Cthulhu, Corsair Cove, Machine Party, DragonSword: Awakening | Granblue Fantasy: Relink - Endless Ragnarok Upgrade Kit |
| August | How to Fish, Big Walk, Star Wars Zero Company, Mortal Shell II, Hell Let Loose: Vietnam, IRON NEST: Heavy Turret Simulator, ReStory: Chill Electronics Repairs, Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls, Beast of Reincarnation, Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 2, The Lord of the Rings: War in the North - Legacy Edition, Madden NFL 27 | None |
| September | WARDOGS (EA), Control Resonant, The Blood of Dawnwalker, Onimusha: Way of the Sword, EA Sports FC 27, NBA 2K27, Minecraft Dungeons II, Dressmaker, Graveyard Keeper 2, Transport Fever 3, Halloween: The Game, Aniimo (free) | None |
EA means the game is still listed as Early Access on 23 October 2026. "Free" marks the three free-to-play games that made Gold. The October 2026 page cannot exist yet, because the month is not over.
Steam's 2026 top releases in numbers
- May was the Early Access month. 6 of its 12 Gold releases are still Early Access, led by Subnautica 2. July and August had none.
- Capcom and Electronic Arts had the most Gold games, four each. Capcom's are Resident Evil Requiem, Monster Hunter Stories 3, PRAGMATA and Onimusha: Way of the Sword; EA's are College Football 27, Star Wars Zero Company, Madden NFL 27 and FC 27, plus the F1 25 season pack. Xbox Game Studios (Forza Horizon 6, Halo: Campaign Evolved, Minecraft Dungeons II) and Hooded Horse had three each.
- DLC can beat full games. January's Gold tier holds three DLC, including Cult of the Lamb: Woolhaven and a Dead by Daylight chapter. Valve's monthly page counts products, not only games.
- Small games make it too. Dressmaker, IRON NEST: Heavy Turret Simulator and Retro Rewind sit in Gold next to Forza Horizon 6 and Resident Evil Requiem.
The most-reviewed 2026 Gold releases
Valve does not publish revenue or sales figures per game, and it does not rank inside a tier. Review counts are the closest public signal of how many people bought and played a game. These are the 15 Gold releases of 2026 with the most Steam user reviews, from Valve's store item data on 23 October 2026.
| Game | Release | Reviews | Review score | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Slay the Spire 2 | 5 Mar 2026 | 187,975 | Mixed (61 %) | Early Access |
| Subnautica 2 | 14 May 2026 | 118,323 | Very Positive (91 %) | Early Access |
| Crimson Desert | 19 Mar 2026 | 117,357 | Very Positive (83 %) | Paid |
| WARDOGS | 10 Sep 2026 | 115,698 | Mixed (69 %) | Early Access |
| Resident Evil Requiem | 27 Feb 2026 | 109,283 | Overwhelmingly Positive (95 %) | Paid |
| Forza Horizon 6 | 19 May 2026 | 90,909 | Very Positive (81 %) | Paid |
| MECCHA CHAMELEON | 10 Jun 2026 | 80,919 | Very Positive (87 %) | Paid |
| How to Fish | 20 Aug 2026 | 74,607 | Overwhelmingly Positive (95 %) | Paid |
| Mewgenics | 10 Feb 2026 | 51,080 | Very Positive (90 %) | Paid |
| Windrose | 14 Apr 2026 | 48,529 | Very Positive (86 %) | Early Access |
| Marathon | 5 Mar 2026 | 45,408 | Very Positive (81 %) | Paid |
| Big Walk | 4 Aug 2026 | 39,248 | Overwhelmingly Positive (95 %) | Paid |
| 007 First Light | 26 May 2026 | 34,688 | Very Positive (90 %) | Paid |
| PRAGMATA | 17 Apr 2026 | 34,195 | Overwhelmingly Positive (96 %) | Paid |
| Far Far West | 28 Apr 2026 | 32,375 | Overwhelmingly Positive (95 %) | Early Access |
Slay the Spire 2 has the most reviews of any 2026 release by a wide margin, yet only a Mixed score. The highest score among the 2026 Gold games with at least 1,000 reviews belongs to Dressmaker (98 % of 16,108), followed by IRON NEST (97 %) and PRAGMATA (96 %).
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Steam top sellers this week (13 to 20 October 2026)
The weekly global Top Sellers chart ranks the top 100 products by revenue from one Tuesday to the next, across all games, not only new ones. This is the latest complete week on 23 October 2026.
| Rank | Product | Change | Weeks on chart | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | PUBG: Battlegrounds | Up 15 | 500 | Free-to-play |
| 2 | Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 | Up 17 | 3 | Paid |
| 3 | Dota 2 | Down 2 | 464 | Free-to-play |
| 4 | AION 2 | Down 2 | 6 | Free-to-play |
| 5 | Counter-Strike 2 | Down 2 | 741 | Free-to-play |
| 6 | Planet Zoo 2 | Up 14 | 3 | Paid |
| 7 | EA Sports FC 27 | Down 2 | 13 | Paid |
| 8 | Apex Legends | Up 9 | 311 | Free-to-play |
| 9 | Enshrouded | Returning | 1 | Paid |
| 10 | Battlefield 6 | Up 49 | 64 | Paid |
| 11 | over the hill | New | 1 | Paid |
| 12 | WARDOGS | Up 3 | 10 | Paid, Early Access |
| 13 | Steam Deck | Down 7 | 21 | Hardware |
| 14 | Marvel Rivals | Up 10 | 98 | Free-to-play |
| 15 | Castlevania: Belmont's Curse | Up 83 | 2 | Paid |
| 16 | Star Wars: Galactic Racer | Down 12 | 3 | Paid |
| 17 | Phantom Blade Zero | Up 14 | 10 | Pre-purchase |
| 18 | Scam With Your Friends | New | 1 | Paid |
| 19 | DayZ | Returning | 1 | Paid |
| 20 | Cyberpunk 2077 | Up 5 | 3 | Paid |
Only two 2026 Gold releases from January to September are still in this top 20: EA Sports FC 27 (7th) and WARDOGS (12th). Free-to-play games take 6 of the 20 places, because the chart counts revenue, and the Steam Deck appears at 13th because Valve's chart includes hardware. Cyberpunk 2077, released in 2020, is 20th while discounted. For live player numbers instead of sales, see our most played Steam games 2026 list.
Steam accounts that already own Borderlands 4
Borderlands 4 made Valve's 2025 Platinum tier, and the shop lets you search libraries for it by name.
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Steam Best of 2025: the Platinum tier
The yearly chart is where Valve answers "best-selling Steam game of the year". Its Best of 2025 page has two lists that people mix up. Top Sellers is the top 100 products by revenue earned in 2025, old games included. New Releases is the top 100 products released in 2025, by revenue. Platinum is the top 12 of each, again in random order.
| Top Sellers 2025 (all products) | New Releases 2025 |
|---|---|
| Schedule I | Hollow Knight: Silksong |
| R.E.P.O. | Dune: Awakening |
| ARC Raiders | Borderlands 4 |
| Dota 2 | Sid Meier's Civilization VII |
| Counter-Strike 2 | Kingdom Come: Deliverance II |
| Monster Hunter Wilds | ARC Raiders |
| Call of Duty | Monster Hunter Wilds |
| PUBG: Battlegrounds | Elden Ring Nightreign |
| Apex Legends | The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered |
| Kingdom Come: Deliverance II | Battlefield 6 |
| Battlefield 6 | Schedule I |
| Marvel Rivals | EA Sports FC 26 |
The two lists in the table read across, but each column is its own set of 12, not a pairing. Five games made both columns: ARC Raiders, Monster Hunter Wilds, Kingdom Come: Deliverance II, Battlefield 6 and Schedule I. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Split Fiction and Dispatch landed one tier lower, in the 2025 New Releases Gold tier. Baldur's Gate 3 and Cyberpunk 2077 were still in the Top Sellers Gold tier in 2025, years after release.
Valve's year data for 2026 (GetYearTopAppReleases) returned nothing on 23 October 2026. The Best of 2025 chart includes games released as late as November 2025, so expect Best of 2026 only after the year is complete.
Which Steam chart answers which question
Top Releases (monthly)
The top 50 products released in one month, by revenue, in Gold, Silver and Bronze tiers. Best for "biggest new Steam games of 2026".
Top Sellers (weekly)
The top 100 products by revenue for one week, Tuesday to Tuesday, any release year. Available per country or global.
Best of the year
Top 100 by revenue for the whole year, with Platinum, Gold, Silver and Bronze tiers. Separate lists for new releases and all products.
Most Played
Concurrent players, not money. Free games dominate it even more than the sales charts.
None of Valve's charts gives unit sales or revenue figures, and the tiers are deliberately unordered. Any page that claims an exact 2026 sales ranking on Steam is using estimates from outside Valve. We used none here.
Owning this year's paid hits
Most of the 2026 Gold list is paid, and several are full-price releases from big publishers. If you want a library that already has some of them, search by the exact title and read the listing's game list. Ten of the 15 most-reviewed 2026 releases above are paid full games and the other five are paid Early Access games, so none of them come free with a new account.
- Check each game title on the listing, not only the total game count.
- Free-to-play games from the charts (PUBG, Dota 2, Counter-Strike 2, Marvel Rivals) add no value to a library, since anyone can install them.
- Read our Full Access vs NFA guide before you compare accounts, and check the Steam Winter Sale 2026 dates if you would rather wait for discounts.
- Want the community vote instead of revenue? Our Steam Awards winners list covers every year since 2016, and the Steam level XP chart explains what a library's badges add to an account.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best-selling game on Steam right now?
PUBG: Battlegrounds topped Valve's global weekly Top Sellers chart for 13 to 20 October 2026, followed by Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 and Dota 2. The chart ranks products by revenue.
What is the best-selling Steam game of 2026?
Valve does not name one. Its monthly charts put the top 12 releases of each month into a Gold tier in random order. Resident Evil Requiem, Crimson Desert, Slay the Spire 2, Subnautica 2, Forza Horizon 6 and WARDOGS are among the 2026 Gold releases.
What was the best-selling Steam game of 2025?
Valve's Best of 2025 lists 12 Platinum products by revenue earned in 2025, in random order: Schedule I, R.E.P.O., ARC Raiders, Dota 2, Counter-Strike 2, Monster Hunter Wilds, Call of Duty, PUBG, Apex Legends, Kingdom Come: Deliverance II, Battlefield 6 and Marvel Rivals.
When will Steam publish Best of 2026?
Valve has not announced a date. Its 2026 year data was empty on 23 October 2026, and the 2025 chart included games released in November 2025, so the 2026 chart needs the full year first.
How does Steam rank top sellers?
By revenue. The weekly chart covers one week from Tuesday to Tuesday, and the monthly and yearly charts group the top products into tiers sorted randomly.
Does the Steam top sellers chart include free-to-play games and hardware?
Yes. Six free-to-play games and the Steam Deck were in the global top 20 for 13 to 20 October 2026.
Do Valve's charts show how many copies a game sold?
No. Valve shows ranks and tiers only. Sales numbers quoted for Steam games come from publishers or third-party estimates.
How many 2026 top releases are still in Early Access?
21 of the 99 full games in the 2026 Gold tiers from January to September were still listed as Early Access on 23 October 2026.
Steam accounts that already own Baldur's Gate 3
Baldur's Gate 3 still sat in Valve's 2025 Gold tier for revenue, and you can filter libraries by its name and pay 0 % fees with crypto.
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Sources and editorial scope
Reviewed 23 October 2026. Monthly Gold tiers: Valve's Top Releases pages for January to September 2026, read through ISteamChartsService/GetMonthTopAppReleases and checked against the rendered September 2026 page. Game names, release dates, Early Access and free-to-play status, publishers and review counts: IStoreBrowseService/GetItems and the Steam store pages, 23 October 2026. Weekly chart: Steam Weekly Top Sellers, global, 13 to 20 October 2026. Yearly chart: Steam Best of 2025 (Top Sellers and New Releases tabs) and ISteamChartsService/GetYearTopAppReleases. No third-party sales estimates were used. Review counts are a snapshot and change daily.
The Steam Subscriber Agreement does not allow you to sell your Steam account or otherwise transfer it. Nothing in this guide changes that or removes the risk of account action.