Steam Sale: when is the Lunar New Year Sale 2021, what games are included – and the best deals and discounts

One of the first big video game sales of the year, the Steam Lunar Sale is upon us – an annual event that gets PC gamers excited at the prospect of big discounts on some of the latest blockbuster games.

With the Chinese New Year of the Ox being ushered in on 12 February, the digital distribution has unleashed a raft of discounts and bargains that are sure to add to your already groaning backlog of games you’ve bought but are yet to actually play.

Here is everything you need to know.

When is the Steam Lunar Sale?

The Steam Lunar Sale kicked off on the evening of 11 February around 6pm UK time.

Announcing the start of the new Steam sale Valve said: "The Steam Lunar New Year Sale is on now, featuring popular titles plus recommendations tailored just for you. Save on tens of thousands of titles, now through February 15th at 10am Pacific [6pm UK time].

"Browse recommendations and featured sale titles by genres and themes, using tags to drill down to the games that fit your favourite playstyle. Popular genres like Action and Adventure are just a starting point. Be sure not to miss our round up of Co-Op games and more."

What games could be included?

Just a few of the games initially discounted in the sale include Hades, a highlight of 2020’s gaming slate, which is 20 per cent off. The award-winning Outer Wilds from 2019 is also going for cheap, with 40 per cent knocked off its usual asking price.

Cyberpunk 2077 – the long-awaited sci-fi RPG that’s still very much ironing out the kinks – is 10 per cent off if you’re ready to jump into the much talked about game, while the brilliant Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is half-price. Who can argue with that?

In terms of other games included in the sale, Enter The Gungeon, Dishonored 2 and Planet Coaster have all received healthy discounts, but there are 1000s more for you to browse through.

What else will happen?

It's not just the massive savings, gamers can also look forward to the little extras and fun Easter eggs Valve often hide around Steam during their Lunar New Year sale.

"Start the year on a beautiful note with the Year of the Ox 2021 animated profile, miniprofile, avatar frame, and animated avatar," said Valve.

“And for you big spenders-big Bundles are now available in the Points Shop! Save 10 per cent when you purchase a Points Shop Bundle. Already own a few items in a Bundle? You can even complete the set and save."