Steam has recorded its best September ever, generating an estimated $1.7 billion in revenue during September 2026, according to market-research firm Alinea Analytics. The figure represents a 13% increase over September 2025 and highlights the continued strength of the PC gaming market despite rising prices for graphics cards, memory and other PC components.
Steam's momentum extended beyond September. Alinea estimates that the platform generated around $5.5 billion during the third quarter of 2026, up 12% year over year. From January through September, estimated revenue reached $16.5 billion, compared with $14.5 billion during the same period in 2025. If the trend continues through the final quarter, Steam could cross the $20 billion annual revenue mark for the first time.
Several major releases contributed to September's performance. Wardogs generated an estimated $86.9 million, while Onimusha: Way of the Sword and The Blood of Dawnwalker brought in approximately $30.4 million and $26.9 million respectively. Free-to-play titles also remained a major revenue source, with Counter-Strike 2, Apex Legends, PUBG and Dota 2 collectively generating nearly $168 million.
Interestingly, the data suggests that gamers are continuing to spend on software even while PC upgrades become more expensive. Established franchises still dominate spending, accounting for roughly 79.5% of revenue among the top 500 grossing games, while new IP contributed 20.5%.
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