When Valve started the Steam Game Festival in late 2019, partnering with The Game Awards, it had big ambitions. Over a year later and those ambitions are starting to be realized. More and more Steam users are trying out Steam Game Festival demos and watching tie-in livestreams. But one aspect of the event appears to no longer fit. Valve has decided to rename the Steam Game Festival starting this summer. It will now be known as the Steam Next Fest.
By all appearances, the Steam Next Fest will function identically to the Steam Game Festival. Valve describes this summer's Steam Next Fest as featuring hundreds of game demos, developer livestreams, and more. The branding change is only to convey a different type of message. That being that it's a celebration of what's coming next on Steam, rather than just a general celebration of gaming. The necessity of that change may not be clear, but Valve must believe it'll prove valuable in the long run.
As for the next Steam Next Fest, Valve has also confirmed the dates PC gamers can add to their calendar. The summer Steam Next Fest will run from June 16 through June 22, taking up the better part of a week and likely coinciding with this year's major digital E3 alternatives.
The schedule for this summer's Steam Next Fest is scheduled for the exact same date of 2020's event, perhaps not coincidentally. That may also provide a clue as to the name change, as last year's event coincided with Geoff Keighley's Summer Game Fest. To say there was a lot of confusion regarding the two would be an understatement. The new Steam Next Fest naming will let it stand at least somewhat apart from the Summer Game Fest, which is also returning in 2021.
Source: Steam