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Valve is updating Steam's Discount & Events section to become more "dynamic and personalised"
Valve is overhauling Steam's Discount & Events section, transitioning to a dynamic and personalized system expected in early 2027. This change aims to significantly improve game discoverability by allowing ten times more games to be featured daily, benefiting both players with more relevant recommendations and developers, especially smaller indies, with increased visibility.
Huge Deadlock Update Propels Valve's MOBA Hero Shooter to the Top of the Steam Charts, Smashes Peak Concurrent Player Record
Valve's MOBA hero shooter Deadlock has reached the top of Steam's most-played games chart following a significant update. This update also propelled the game to smash its previous peak concurrent player record.
Evening Reading - September 29, 2026
This roundup covers several gaming news items including Sony's withdrawal from CES 2027, the upcoming reveal of Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, and a significant update for Deadlock. It also highlights a new concurrent player record for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt on Steam following its remaster, and reviews for Minecraft Dungeons 2 and the Razer Naga V3 Pro mouse.
Deadlock gets six new heroes as part of City Never Sleeps major update
Valve has released a major update for Deadlock titled 'City Never Sleeps,' which includes significant changes to the New York City map with new visuals and 'Haunts' in its lanes and back alleys. The update also introduces a new merchant called the Broker, six new heroes, and various visual improvements to elements like healthbars and the event feed.
Making our favorite FPS modes 1v1 to decide the greatest of them all
This article discusses the diverse and enduring appeal of various first-person shooter game modes. It introduces a reader-voted tournament to determine the greatest FPS mode, pitting popular formats like Team Deathmatch, Battle Royale, and Capture the Flag against each other.
Another Steam page is being turned into an algorithm as Valve aims to show "10x more games to customers"
Valve is transitioning Steam's Discounts & Events page from a manual calendar system to an algorithm-based approach, aiming to showcase significantly more games to customers. While Valve believes this will improve discovery and benefit developers, concerns exist that algorithmic recommendations might limit exposure to games outside a user's usual preferences.
Deadlock's gigantic new update gives its city a spooky new coat of paint and debuts 6 new heroes, including the one…
Valve's MOBA Deadlock has received its 'City Never Sleeps' update, introducing a significantly redecorated map with three distinct themes and six new heroes that will be released weekly via a player voting system. The update also includes numerous gameplay tweaks, improved UI elements, enhanced accessibility options, and new practice tools, though the game remains in invite-only access.
With Deadlock's latest updating promising six new heroes, over 10,000 new voice lines and too much more to mention, it's clear Valve are still pretty committed to it
Valve has released a significant update for its unreleased game, Deadlock, introducing six new heroes, a visual overhaul of the map with distinct district aesthetics, and improvements to the UI and HUD. The update also adds over 10,000 new voice lines, a reworked ping system, and expanded custom lobby features, alongside new accessibility options.
Steam's discounts and events tab will soon be fully algorithm-driven
Valve is transitioning Steam's "Discounts and Events" tab from a manually curated calendar to an algorithm-driven system. This change aims to personalize game recommendations for each customer, with initial tests showing a tenfold increase in games featured and significant boosts in store page visits and wishlists. While Valve states this will help developers focus on game creation rather than promotion, some industry figures like Simon Carless and Tim Bender of Hooded Horse have noted positive impacts on visibility for smaller titles.
The algorithm comes for Steam's Discounts and Events
Valve is changing how games are featured in Steam's Discounts and Events section, replacing curated spots with personalized recommendations driven by algorithms. The company claims this will increase visibility for 10 times more games, leading to more store page visits, wishlists, and cart additions. While some express concern about over-reliance on algorithms, the change is seen as potentially beneficial for indie developers seeking visibility.
Valve is changing Steam's homepage discounts and events section to go the way of the algorithm to get you to look at, and buy, obviously, more games
Valve is transitioning Steam's 'Discounts & Events' section from manual curation to a dynamic, algorithm-driven system. The company claims this change will personalize recommendations, leading to a 10x increase in games shown and meaningful growth in store page visits, wishlists, and cart additions. While Valve believes this will benefit customers and developers, the article expresses hesitation about the increased reliance on algorithms and potential negative impacts on smaller developers.
Valve boss Gabe Newell admits his Mongolian throat singing phase was "annoying," and he's apparently not very good at it, either: "I am entirely self taught and it shows"
Valve president Gabe Newell admitted in an email exchange that his past phase of practicing Mongolian throat singing was indeed "annoying." He corroborated stories from former employee Minh Le, stating he was self-taught and acknowledged his lack of skill during the five months he practiced around the office.
Top 5 proxies for Steam in 2026
This article compares the top 5 proxy services for Steam in 2026, focusing on their suitability for various Steam-related tasks like botting, market collection, and client access. It details how proxies affect Steam traffic, the legal implications of their use according to the Steam Subscriber Agreement, and provides a ranked list of providers like Proxys.io, Proxy-Seller, IPRoyal, Webshare, and Decodo based on price, features, and performance.
Games Inbox: Is the next Super Mario game open world?
Readers discuss the potential for the next 3D Super Mario game to be open world, drawing parallels to Zelda and Bowser's Fury. Other topics include the 30th anniversary of Super Mario 64, the gameplay of Marvel's Wolverine, criticism of Xbox executives, the viability of a Ganondorf game, Sony's potential U-turn on game discs, the decline of Rare, the unchanging nature of EA Sports FC, and performance issues in Star Wars Zero Company.
William Pugh, co-designer of The Stanley Parable, has over 1,600 hours in Dota 2: 'It's not a game made of love. It's a game fuelled by hate and a desire to conquer'
William Pugh, co-designer of The Stanley Parable, discusses his extensive PC gaming habits, including over 1,600 hours in Dota 2, which he describes as a game fueled by hate rather than love. He also expresses strong positive sentiment towards Team Fortress 2 and the recently released Big Walk, while noting his current enjoyment of the upcoming hero shooter Deadlock.
Yes, Gabe Newell really had a "room full of knives and blades and swords" that he learned how to make himself,…
Valve co-founder Gabe Newell has a surprising past as a collector and maker of knives, swords, and axes, according to Counter-Strike co-creator Minh Le. Le recounts Newell's intense interest in bladed weapons, including a dedicated room filled with them and his subsequent pursuit of knife-making lessons. This curiosity and drive to learn is seen as a characteristic that extends to his leadership at Valve.
This ambitious Half-Life 2 mod asks: what if Iron Lung had a submarine and an airship?
An ambitious total conversion mod for Half-Life 2, titled The Temple, is set to release soon. Inspired by the submarine horror of Iron Lung, the mod features players piloting a submarine, an airship, and a space shuttle across an aquatic planet and its moons. The mod expands on previous maps and promises over two hours of exploration-based sci-fi horror.
The eyes of Valve's creepy portrait are glowing again
Valve is preparing to release a major content update for its game Deadlock, indicated by a glowing portrait in the game's hub. This follows a previous update that significantly improved the game. A developer confirmed the update is planned for early next week, though details remain scarce.
PC gaming has more than doubled in size over the last 4 years in Japan, report finds, with global Steam hits like Counter-Strike 2 and PUBG leading the charge
PC gaming revenue in Japan has more than doubled in the last four years, reaching 300 billion yen by 2025, a significant increase from 132.1 billion yen in 2021. Global hits like Counter-Strike 2 and PUBG: Battlegrounds are leading this growth, with free-to-play titles being particularly popular. While consoles from Sony and Nintendo traditionally dominate, the PC market is experiencing a substantial expansion.
"An Xbox that's only good for launching Steam is like subsidizing Valve's cash register": Ground-zero Xbox veteran says Microsoft needs to pick a lane before Project Helix hits a wall
Former Xbox veteran Jon Kimmich argues that Microsoft must choose between investing in the Xbox platform as a console-centric ecosystem or focusing solely on publishing games across multiple platforms. He criticizes the current 'play anywhere' strategy for diluting the Xbox brand and suggests that the upcoming Project Helix console needs a clear identity beyond simply launching PC games like Steam.
