Steam Next Fest hosts up to 8,700 free demos, many AI

The summer edition of Steam Next Fest is now underway, offering players a massive, week-long opportunity to try thousands of free demos for upcoming games. The event began on June 15 and will run through June 22 on the Steam platform, featuring titles from a vast range of genres including action RPGs, strategy games, farming simulators, and visual novels.

This installment is notably the largest to date, with data indicating between 4,300 and 8,700 playable demos available. The sheer volume makes it impossible for any single player to experience everything, leading Steam to activate a personalized recommendation feed to help users navigate the overwhelming catalog. A significant point of discussion surrounding the event is the disclosure of generative AI use in development. According to available metrics, roughly 20 percent of the participating games, numbering in the low thousands, carry a mandatory Steam store disclosure stating they include AI-generated content.

The festival serves as a crucial testing and feedback period for developers ahead of their games' full releases. Many highlighted demos are for titles scheduled to launch later in 2026 or early 2027. Among the numerous...