Conformity Gate: The Wild Theory Shaking Up Stranger Things Fans

Stranger Things has set the internet alight once again, but not for the reasons you might expect. After the much-anticipated season 5 finale dropped on New Year’s Eve, a wave of disbelief swept through the fanbase. Many punters aren’t buying the ending served up by the Duffer brothers, convinced there’s still another chapter waiting in the wings. This idea has been dubbed ‘Conformity Gate’, and it’s taken on a life of its own across social media, especially on Twitter, where fans are piecing together their own evidence to back the theory.

So, what’s the story behind Conformity Gate? At its core, the trend kicked off because a chunk of the audience isn’t satisfied with how things wrapped up. The theory goes that Vecna has pulled the wool over everyone’s eyes, making viewers see what he wants them to see. According to believers, there are subtle hints scattered throughout the final season that suggest the ending isn’t what it seems.

Theories and Clues: Fans Dig Deep

To get a handle on the theory, it’s worth revisiting episode 8. In the finale, Eleven helps take down the main villain before sacrificing herself, stepping back into the Upside Down just as it’s about to go up in smoke. The story then jumps ahead a year and a half, showing Hawkins moving on. Nancy, Jonathan, and Robin have all left town, while Steve has stuck around to teach. Joyce and Hopper are newly engaged and planning a fresh start elsewhere. Meanwhile, Will, Mike, Dustin, Lucas, and Max finish high school and head off on their own paths.

On the surface, it all seems neatly tied up. But those following Conformity Gate aren’t convinced. They’ve spotted what they reckon are hidden details in the finale, suggesting the epilogue is just a smokescreen crafted by Vecna, who might not be gone after all. For instance, in the graduation scene, students are wearing orange gowns instead of the usual green for Hawkins High. Some students are clasping their hands in a way that mirrors Henry Creel, and the Wheeler family sport his hairstyle too.

Spotting the Oddities

Other oddities have been flagged as well. The radio tower’s dial changes colour, and characters like Vickie and Suzie are nowhere to be seen in the epilogue. There are moments that some reckon are warnings to the audience, like when Lucas Sinclair looks straight at the camera in season 5, episode 2 and says,

‘I don’t know about you guys, but I don’t believe in coincidences.’

In the epilogue, exit signs pop up in nearly every flash forward, which some say hints at a reality controlled by someone else, much like in The Truman Show.

One of the more convincing bits of ‘evidence’ comes in the final scene, where the group is playing Dungeons and Dragons. In the background, there’s a WHATZIT? board game, the same alias Creel used to lure a dozen kids. During the game, Mike wraps up his campaign and then pulls out an alternate ending. Fans are asking if that’s what the Duffers are up to with the show. When the group puts away their DnD folders, the letters spell out ‘X A LIE’, which some interpret as proof that Dimension X was a sham and Vecna is still out there.

Speculation on a Secret Episode

Those backing Conformity Gate are convinced the real finale will air on 7 January 2026. Their reasoning? The dice in the credits show a seven, and Will Byers was missing for seven days in the first season. Plus, 7 January is Orthodox Christmas, which would fit the show’s habit of dropping episodes during the holidays. So far, the Duffer brothers haven’t weighed in, and Netflix is keeping quiet about the whole thing.

Despite all the buzz, it’s unlikely another episode will appear. Episode 8 was always promoted as the last hurrah, even getting a cinema release. The Stranger Things Twitter bio says,

‘ALL EPISODES OF STRANGER THINGS ARE NOW PLAYING.’

The seven in the credits is actually a nod to the first episode’s opening, where Will’s dice rolls off the table and the game is interrupted before the group can finish. As Will leaves, he tells Mike,

‘it was a seven.’

So, it looks like this theory is just a bit of fun for the fans.

The full Stranger Things series is streaming now for anyone keen to revisit Hawkins and see if they can spot any clues themselves.