NetflixIf you logged into Netflix today to watch the anticipated first part of Stranger Things Season 5, only to find no new episodes, you’re not the only one. There’s a slight delay to the release time, but it’s an intentional one.
After waiting for what’s felt like an eternity, Stranger Things’ fifth and final chapter is very nearly upon us. For the last time ever, the Hawkins gang will be back on our screens, with one shared goal in mind: find and kill Vecna.
Matt and Ross Duffer have promised that the Netflix series will come full circle, revealing the truth about the Upside Down and why Will Byers (Noah Schnapp) was taken all those years ago.
We won’t be getting all of those answers in one go, as Season 5 has been split into three parts. But Volume 1 will be the beginning of an epic end, and it’s just around the corner.
Stranger Things Season 5 Volume 1 release date & time
Stranger Things Season 5 Volume 1, which consists of four episodes, drops on Netflix on November 26, 2025 at 5pm PT / 8pm ET.
This may vary depending on where you are in the world, so be sure to take note of when it drops in your region:
- 10pm Brazil
- 1am UK – November 27
- 2am CET – November 27
- 6:30am India Standard Time – November 27
- 10am Japan – November 27
- 12pm Australia – November 27
- 2pm New Zealand – November 27
Usually, new Netflix titles drop at 12am PT / 3am ET, but Stranger Things’ release time has been switched up.
Why is it delayed?
NetflixThe reason isn’t due to any behind-the-scenes issues. It’s simply so that US viewers can watch Season 5 during prime viewing time.
The streaming service switches things up with some of its bigger titles when it knows America is the biggest viewership pool. For instance, the Squid Game: The Challenge Season 2 finale arrived later than usual for the same reason.
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This way, US fans can avoid spoilers (but it also means global viewers will have to either stay up late or simply avoid all social media until they’ve watched it). Volume 2 and the Season 5 finale will also drop at the adjusted time.
How many episodes are there?
NetflixStranger Things Season 5 consists of eight episodes in total. We now know the titles for all episodes, as well as the Volume 1 runtimes, which you can check out below:
- ‘Chapter One: The Crawl’ – 1 hour 8 minutes
- ‘Chapter Two: The Vanishing of’ – 54 minutes
- ‘Chapter Three: The Turnbow Trap’ – 1 hour 6 minutes
- ‘Chapter Four: Sorcerer’ – 1 hour 23 minutes
- ‘Chapter Five: Shock Jock’ – TBC
- ‘Chapter Six: Escape from Camazotz’ – TBC
- ‘Chapter Seven: The Bridge’ – TBC
- ‘Chapter Eight: The Rightside Up’ – TBC
Full release schedule
As said, the fifth chapter has been split into three parts, which will air across key dates at the end of the year. Check out the full release schedule below:
- Season 5 Episode 1 – November 26
- Season 5 Episode 2 – November 26
- Season 5 Episode 3 – November 26
- Season 5 Episode 4 – November 26
- Season 5 Episode 5 – December 25
- Season 5 Episode 6 – December 25
- Season 5 Episode 7 – December 25
- Season 5 Episode 8 – December 31
How to watch the Volume 1 countdown
If you want to join the hype train, the Still Watching Netflix YouTube channel has launched the official countdown for Stranger Things Season 5 Volume 1, which you can watch for free below:
The stream features trailers, interviews, clips, and cast moments from the Netflix series, alongside a timer at the bottom of the screen so you know exactly when to tune in.
Best of all, there’s a live chat where you can share your theories or simply express how excited you are with the thousands of other Stranger Things fans currently tuned into the stream.
What to expect in Season 5
NetflixStranger Things Season 5 picks up more than a year after the events of the Season 4 finale, which saw Vecna succeed in tearing open Hawkins, unleashing earthquakes that split the town and caused the Upside Down to bleed out into the real world.
When Volume 1 begins, it’s fall 1987, and the group is more fractured than ever. The government has since placed Hawkins under strict quarantine, isolating residents as it hunts for Eleven.
As such, Eleven is in hiding, and the rest of the gang navigates this new world while trying to find and stop Vecna.
Netflix has already released the opening five minutes of Season 5, which takes us back to Season 1, showing Vecna targeting a young Will during his first trip to the Upside Down. All of this sets the stage for a darker chapter, where long-running mysteries will finally be answered.
In the meantime, check out our ranking of the best Stranger Things characters, the best Stranger Things episodes, and the characters most likely to die in Season 5.