Stranger Things fans lit the internet on fire with a theory that a new episode would be released in January 2026. Dubbed “Conformity Gate,” social media users produced this trend while pointing to alleged clues from the season 5 finale that aired on December 31, 2025. Viewers claimed that these supposed hints indicated an additional episode was on the way. So, is it true?
Below, find out if you can expect a new episode of Stranger Things following its season 5 finale.
“Conformity Gate” is an online conspiracy theory that fans spread, alleging that they caught hints in the season 5 finale of a new episode of Stranger Things on the horizon.
Stranger Things fans explaining conformity gate: pic.twitter.com/WO2pl9Rbbd
— The Cinéprism (@TheCineprism) January 6, 2026
Fans debated over one of the final scenes when the main characters aligned their books together, spelling the letters “XALIE.” Fans argued that this meant Dimension X was a lie and was, therefore, all in Vecna’s mind.
No. Sorry, Stranger Things fans, but there is no truth to “Conformity Gate,” unless the Duffer brothers and the entire cast and crew of Stranger Things are skillful liars.
As seen on TikTok and X.com, the “Conformity Gate” trend began with viewers’ criticism of the series’ finale.
“The entire Stranger Things fandom currently in a collective psychosis coming up with a theory called Conformity Gate as a coping mechanism because the Duffers writing was genuinely THAT bad,” one person tweeted.
