The Steam Next Fest dates have been set for June 2022, with another batch of forthcoming PC game demos to test out, and Valve has also announced an October event. That keeps the rollout of Steam Next Fest events in 2022 consistent with what we saw last year, indicating that Valve has found a good formula.
The date for the forthcoming Steam Next Fest has been announced for June 13, with the event beginning at the normal Steam store reset hour of 10am PDT / 1pm EDT / 6pm BST. The event will run till June 20. According to developer documentation, Valve is also planning an October event, but particular dates have not yet been released.
Valve is making one big modification to Steam Next Fest game eligibility: demos will only be allowed to participate in a Next Fest once starting in June 2022. "Once your demo has been accepted for the event," Valve notes, "it may not feature in any subsequent Next Fests."
Valve also has launched its own handheld pc steam deck recently, and this fest may prove beneficial for those who own one, Valve appears to be promoting titles that are ideal for the Steam Deck.