*Spoilers ahead*
The finale of Stranger Things aired on December 31, 2025, yet fans are not so sure this was the end.
A convincing new fan theory dubbed “Conformity Gate” has emerged and sparked debate over what really happened in the show’s final episode.
And although the creators of the show, Matt and Ross Duffer have stayed silent on the theory, they did announce an exciting new Stranger Things project coming soon.
The Stranger Things creators announced a behind-the-scenes documentary less than a week after the finale episode.
However, fans are much more interested in knowing if there is any truth to “Conformity Gate”.
What is “Conformity Gate”?
To understand the theory, we must first go over the events of the final episode.
In the finale we see Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) and the gang forced back together for one last showdown.
As the Upside Down begins to bleed into the real world, Vecna needs to be destroyed.
The nail-biting episode put every friendship on the line and ultimately saw villain Vecna defeated.
However, questions about the ambiguous ending started to arise shortly after it aired- particularly on the fate of Eleven.
Fans now believe that the final episode was not actual the final episode.
According to the “Conformity Gate” theory, the events of the finale may be an illusion orchestrated by Vecna.
If this theory were true, this means that the apparent resolution and happy ending could be false.
Is there any truth to “Conformity Gate”?
While unconfirmed by Netflix or Stranger Things creators the Duffer Brothers, the theory has been supported by “coincidences” on the streaming platform and imagery scattered throughout the final episode.
One Reddit user revealed: “I’m sceptical but if you type in ‘fake ending’ into Netflix then Stranger Things comes up so now I’m even more confused.”
Another fan says a big hint is in the title of the final episode: “Chapter Eight: The Rightside Up”.
“Wasn’t the finale supposed to be titled ‘Stranger Things’? Maybe that’s the ninth episode,” another says.
However, many other Reddit users disagree with the theory- with one very sensible argument.
“The biggest reason against this is Netflix is not going to sell millions of tickets to the Stranger Things finale in cinemas and then drop the actual finale as a surprise. I imagine there would be quite the backlash to that,” one fan explained on Reddit.
No evidence currently suggests that the finale was not really the finale, or that a secret episode is set to be dropped, but the theory continues to prevail.
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