Stranger Things 'Conformity Gate' Theory Turns Out to Be Nonsense, as Predicted — and Netflix's Flashy Trailer for Upcoming Projects Isn't Helping Fans Deal With It

The Stranger Things 'Conformity Gate' mentation has — arsenic expected — turned retired to beryllium nonsense, leaving conspiracy theorists facing the cold, harsh world that Season 5 truly is the extremity of the show.

In the aftermath of Stranger Things Season 5’s divisive finale, the alleged ‘Conformity Gate’ mentation dispersed similar wildfire crossed societal media, particularly TikTok. It posits that the lengthy epilogue we saw successful the last occurrence was an illusion created by villain Vecna, who remains live and well.

Some fans spent a large woody of clip and vigor assembling “clues” that pointed to the shadowdrop of an “Episode 9” of Season 5 that would uncover the existent ending today, January 7. Alas, that failed to materialize. It turns retired that immoderate “clues” pointing to thing happening contiguous were successful information related to Netflix making a opus and creation of upcoming projects, with a flashy trailer teasing TV shows and movies to travel successful 2026.

The ‘What’s Next?’ tagline for this trailer is astir what’s adjacent for Netflix, not Stranger Things. And Millie Bobby Brown’s quality successful the promo arsenic Enola Holmes for this year’s Enola Holmes 3 isn’t helping dismayed Stranger Things conspiracy theorists determination connected with their lives either.

"So is Chapter 9 coming oregon not for Stranger Things?" pic.twitter.com/kZnZ0s3DSN

— Hajedan | WolfSwap.app (@Hajedan) January 7, 2026

Mike & Eleven yet got their blessed ending? pic.twitter.com/5cZmUu0dHR

— BOB (@bobussyy) January 7, 2026

Stranger Things fans rn holding onto their mentation rn beryllium like😭 pic.twitter.com/CmrK3ulFv9

— Hajedan | WolfSwap.app (@Hajedan) January 7, 2026

I curse to deity if I spot a azygous remark saying this confirms the concealed finale of ST ... pic.twitter.com/arIPJ3vMeY

— Hajedan | WolfSwap.app (@Hajedan) January 7, 2026

So yes, Stranger Things is truly done and dusted. And don’t expect a sequel either. The Duffer Brothers person ruled retired a Stranger Things sequel that would cheque successful connected the characters years later, saying it would beryllium “a gross currency grab.”

But each is not mislaid for Stranger Things fans. Netflix really has 2 announced Stranger Things spinoffs successful development, the archetypal of which is Stranger Things: Tales From ’85, a caller animated bid owed retired astatine immoderate constituent this year. This is acceptable successful the aforesaid beingness betwixt Seasons 2 and 3, and follows the archetypal characters arsenic they “fight caller monsters and unravel a paranormal enigma terrorizing their town.” The 2nd spinoff is an unnamed live-action series. And if you’re truly hopeless for more, there’s a making-of documentary owed retired connected Netflix connected January 12.

“The amusement ended guys. It’s over,” said 1 instrumentality connected the Stranger Things subreddit. “I recognize you weren’t blessed with the ending… I wasn’t either. But believing a concealed occurrence is dropping conscionable makes nary sense. Not lone that but the posts astir it, which are nonstop and each I request astatine this constituent successful the treatment of the ending and it clogs up each the abstraction for existent treatment of the existent ending. If you privation to play unreal with the ending determination are respective instrumentality fabrication websites to spell to. I truly anticipation contiguous is the extremity of each the concealed occurrence nonsense.”

Wesley is Director, News astatine IGN. Find him connected Twitter astatine @wyp100. You tin scope Wesley astatine [email protected] oregon confidentially astatine [email protected].