(Image credit: Valve)

Something strange is happening over on the front page of the Steam Autumn Sale. The image at the top of the page, of a literal Steam Store with none other than Gabe Newell himself behind the counter, has taken a very odd and sinister turn.

When the sale began, the store was bathed in the soothing red glow of dusk and surrounded by trees whose red leaves had not yet fallen. A small, white cat-like thing stood on the sidewalk out front, while a customer at the counter chatted idly with Newell. It was pleasant.

Now, however, it's nighttime at the Steam Store. The streets are bathed in shadow. More worryingly, they're also apparently being overrun by writhing Cthulhu-esque horrors. The customer from earlier struggles in the grip of a giant black tentacle that's burst forth from the sewers, while in the background a squid-headed monstrosity looms. The white cat-thing—which is actually Baba, from Baba Is You—is still around, while up on the roof, a ninja-looking guy who we're pretty sure is Sekiro crouches, ready to leap into action.

What does it all mean? Maybe nothing. My guess is that Valve is inserting elements from various games to spice things up as the sale progresses, although I can't put my finger on where the tentacle or the Cthulhu guy come from. Whatever's going on, a television on the wall behind Newell indicates that these are not isolated incidents, but the man himself seems remarkably unfazed by it all.

We'll keep our eyes on the page and let you know if anything else changes. I suspect it will. The 2019 Steam Autumn Sale runs until December 3.

Update: Things have indeed changed. Sekiro has leapt into action, the tentacle has released its prey, the Ent (we're pretty sure it's the Ent from Remnant: From the Ashes) is wandering around but doesn't seem to actually be bothering anyone at this point, a couple of the Children of Morta (I think) have arrived, and Eris Morn is on the scene too. Baba, meanwhile, is still just sort of hanging around on the sidewalk, and Gabe Newell remains resolutely at his post. The man is a dedicated employee.

Here's the original image for comparison: