As Netflix moved to set the record straight amid fan speculation about a fake 'ending', the streaming giant confirmed there would be no episode nine serving as the 'real' finale of the hit series Stranger Things, which has run for a decade.
Further reinforcing the debunking, on the morning of 7 January — the date fans believed the highly anticipated ninth episode would be released — the bios of the official Stranger Things social media accounts read: 'ALL EPISODES OF STRANGER THINGS ARE NOW PLAYING.'
For those unfamiliar, the Stranger Things 'Conformity Gate Theory' is a widespread fan theory suggesting that the final episode was not truly the end of the story.
They believe Season 5 still hides a secret episode that will deliver the true ending. Fans have pointed to alleged 'glitches' as evidence, claiming Vecna was never fully defeated and that the finale was merely a massive illusion orchestrated by the show's greatest villain.
While some viewers accept that the series has concluded, other fans remain unconvinced that there is no 'Conformity Gate', with many continuing to search for clues. Some believe hints can be found in the upcoming documentary and the series' planned spin-offs.
Confirmed Shows Related to Stranger Things
For fans who have come to terms with the fact that the 'Conformity Gate' theory is not real, there is still plenty to look forward to in the Stranger Things universe. The Duffer Brothers have already teased and confirmed several upcoming projects, including multiple Stranger Things spin-offs.
One confirmed project is an animated series titled Stranger Things: Tales of '85. The series will follow the original characters — Eleven, Mike Wheeler, Dustin Henderson, Will Byers, Lucas Sinclair, and Max Mayfield — voiced by new actors, as they work to unravel the mysteries of the Upside Down. The story will be set between seasons two and three of the original series.
The Duffer Brothers have also hinted at a second spin-off, which remains untitled for now. This live-action series is expected to answer some lingering questions left at the end of the final season, including what exactly happened to Henry Creel, also known as Vecna, in the cave that granted him his powers and connected him to Dimension X's Mind Flayer.
Speaking to Variety, Matt Duffer said, 'I do want to explain, just because people's expectations go in certain directions: the spinoff is going to delve into that and explain that, and you're going to understand it.' He added, 'But it's a completely different mythology.'
He also clarified that the series would not be a deep exploration of the Mind Flayer, emphasising that 'It's very fresh and very new, but yes, it will answer some of the loose threads that are remaining.'
While Stranger Things has reached its conclusion, the Duffer Brothers are not quite ready to leave the Upside Down behind.
The creators also teased another potential spin-off idea, saying, 'We do have an idea for a spin-off that we're super excited about, but we haven't told anyone the idea yet, much less written it.'
They also admitted that Finn Wolfhard had already guessed the premise of the series, describing it as 'very, very different'. They added, 'Aside from Finn, no one else knows!'
Furthermore, on 12 January, Netflix will release One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things 5, a behind-the-scenes look at the series' final season.
Netflix's Tudum describes the documentary as something that 'gives viewers an inside look at the years of effort and craft that went into the final instalment of the Duffer Brothers' generation-defining series.'
The 'Conformity Gate' & Documentary Theory
But as expected, some are still not buying the Netflix and the Stranger Things confirmation, as some fans draw another 'conformity gate clue that is pointing out in the documentary.
Some fans believe that the behind-the-scenes documentary One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things 5 is more than a standard making-of special.
Dubbed the 'fourth wall' theory, the idea suggests the documentary could hide a meta twist — or even act as an unofficial ninth episode.
According to theorists, the show may go fully meta by positioning Vecna in a final confrontation not with the characters, but with the cast themselves.
While the concept may sound far-fetched, it is not without precedent, having been explored in films such as Wes Craven's New Nightmare.
Fans have also drawn comparisons to another cult Netflix series, The OA, which experimented with breaking narrative boundaries but was ultimately cut short.
Fueling the speculation is Jamie Campbell Bower's recent appearances in promotional clips, seemingly in character as Vecna. To 'Conformity Gate' theory believers, this suggests that Vecna has 'broken the fourth wall' and crossed into our reality, blurring the line between fiction and the real world.
To top it all off, this theory can also be associated with the most recent clue that appeared in a background scene featuring Robin at the WSQK, or 'The Squawk', radio station, which was discovered by fans.
Ok I'm a #conformitygate believer. The cassette tapes behind Robin are morse code for:
— Question Everything (@needtoquestion) January 6, 2026
"U DID NOT STOP ME"
I traced over the cassette tapes in red to make it easier for @grok to decipher. #StrangerThings pic.twitter.com/MGgwaMYamc
Behind her, the cassette tapes seem to form a Morse code message, which fans deciphered as: 'U DID NOT STOP ME' — suggesting that Vecna is still alive.
The Live-Action Spin-Off: "The Briefcase Rock"
But fans didn't stop speculating about the documentary alone. Attention has also turned to the unnamed live-action spin-off of the series.
According to the creators, this spin-off will delve into the mythology behind the mysterious glowing rock in Dimension X—the source of Henry Creel's powers and his connection to the Mind Flayer, as shown in the finale's flashback.
Fans believe the series will finally reveal how the rock arrived on Earth, effectively 'explaining' the origin of the supernatural events that the main show's ending left deliberately vague.
Current theories, supported by the canon prequel play The First Shadow, suggest the rock may be linked to a 1943 U.S. military experiment involving submarine invisibility.
As a result, the spin-off is widely expected to be a prequel, possibly set in the 1940s or 1950s, and centred on the Philadelphia Experiment or the Montauk Project—shedding light on the true source of the show's otherworldly phenomena.
Animated Spin-Off: 'Stranger Things: Tales From '85'
As for the animated spin-off, Stranger Things: Tales From '85', fans connect the finale episode scene where the main cast stack their D&D binders appeared to spell out 'X A LIE' or Dimension X is a lie.
A growing conspiracy among some Stranger Things fans is that the finale is actually an illusion created by Vecna, and that the true ending will be released in a secret Episode 9. pic.twitter.com/ilTuh5u3dZ
— Stranger Things Memes (@SThingsMeme) January 5, 2026
Believers of the 'Conformity Gate' theory believe that the animated series will reveal that 'Dimension X' was a mental trap created by the Mind Flayer to deceive Henry Creel.
If the spin-off confirms this, it would 'explain' why the finale felt like a victory yet was marked by several 'darker' hints: the party may have defeated the human host (Henry/Vecna), but the 'lie' itself—the Mind Flayer and Dimension X—still exists.
Although Netflix and the Duffer Brothers have debunked the 'Conformity Gate' theory that was supposed to emerge on 7 January, Stranger Things fans who are still not ready to let go of the series have once again found something to look forward to, thanks to all the ongoing speculation
