Wizards of the CoastDead by Daylight announced a full second Stranger Things chapter, which confirms Hawkins will return to the Fog after years of uncertainty. And hey, just in time to celebrate the release of the show’s fifth season release.
Dead by Daylight had circled this moment for a long time. The original Stranger Things chapter arrived in 2019, disappeared in 2021 due to licensing issues, and returned in 2023 after months of player speculation. The comeback reignited interest in a game that had spent recent updates repairing matchmaking problems, smoothing out performance dips, and addressing balance complaints across both roles.
Those changes shaped Behaviour’s roadmap heading into 2026, when the studio planned to revisit legacy partnerships and rebuild trust after several delayed features and bug-heavy patches. Stranger Things sat at the top of that wish list, even as its status remained unclear.
Stranger Things returns, and no one even had to enter the Upside Down
Behaviour confirmed Stranger Things Chapter 2 today and set a January 2026 release window. The studio said the chapter will introduce a new killer, a new survivor, and a new map. A short teaser accompanied the announcement on X, showing a silhouette fans immediately identified as Vecna.
The detail raised questions because Dead by Daylight already added its own Vecna during the Dungeons and Dragons chapter, where the character appeared under the title The Lich. The odd overlap has not gone unnoticed; we’ve already struggled with one all-powerful spell-slinger, let alone two.
The studio explained that Chapter 2 had been scheduled earlier in its roadmap but shifted after Behaviour redirected resources toward stability updates and core system fixes. It said the additional time allowed the team to resolve long-running issues before returning to one of its most requested collaborations.
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Stranger Things reentered Dead by Daylight’s future with a clear plan and a firm date, but it’s not the only game with a crossover on the horizon. Fortnite is getting its own redo of the characters, now all grown up, and McDonalds announced its Stranger Things-themed meal.