Steam Next Fest 2026 is this year’s annual look at upcoming AAA and indie games that might have slipped under your radar. Gaming is put under the microscope for a week, and some data claims to have revealed the big game of the week.
If you’re a game in need of some exposure, look no further than Steam Next Fest. The annual event features an exhausting list of demos and opportunities to play upcoming games and discover new titles for your wishlist.
The alleged main wishlisted game for Steam Next Fest 2026 has a certain swashbuckling and piratey theme.
Windrose Is The Most Wishlisted Game Of Steam Next Fest 2026
Windrose was apparently the most wishlisted game of Steam Next Fest 2026, with data provided by Alinea Analytics.
The company itself even uses the term “estimates,” so we’re not taking this information as absolute just yet.
However, Alinea claims: “Co-op pirate survival game Windrose took the #1 spot, securing 351K new wishlists during the week-long event.” It wouldn’t be a shock if this is true; Windrose went very viral very quickly, and Windrose swiftly surpassed 1 million Steam Wishlists.
Rhys Elliott (Head of market analysis at Alinea) also added: “Around 11.7% of Windrose’s total wishlisters played the demo, which was the third-most-played during the event.”
It comfortably beats second-placed Marathon, which would be a shock in itself, and obliterated the next-best games: Burglin’ Games, Vampire Crawlers, and Far Far West.
Again, this data might not be 100% accurate, but it should give you a good idea of what was performed and gained attention during Steam Next Fest 2026.
Outside of the main games wishlisted during Steam Next Fest, did you spot or play any other bangers? Drop them in the Insider Gaming Discord and let the community know.
If you are interested in the potential for pirating, read about Windrose’s release date and when the devs will announce it.
Far Far West was hands down the best demo during the next fest – I am very keen to see what other demos you guys checked out during the event!