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Wasn't it just a couple months ago that we were talking about Stranger Things 'coming to an end?' I mean, it did, in that the Stranger Things season 5 finale did air on New Years Eve 2025, wrapping up the storyline that began with season 1. But we should've been a bit more careful about using terms like 'over' and 'ending' to describe the show. See, the Hawkins mystery continues to grow, and there's no better proof that the fact that Stranger Things: Tales from '85 has already been renewed for a season 2.

Which is not to say there isn't other proof that audiences worldwide aren't ready to leave Hawkins behind. For example, as reported in an official Netflix statement released April 29, Stranger Things: Tales from '85 season 1 debuted not just on the Global Top Ten, its impressive viewership also landed it a position in the top 15 animated debuts of all time on the platform. 

It doesn't take a Hawkins Investigators Club to see why Netflix would already be ordering more episodes, less than a week after Stranger Things: Tales from '85's season 1 release date.

"We’re thrilled to return to the winter of ’85 for season two," said series showrunner Eric Robles, "The Hawkins Investigators Club is back, and a new paranormal threat has emerged from the town’s abandoned silver mines. I can’t wait for fans to discover where this entity and the mysterious blue flower we last saw blooming in the Upside Down at the end of Season 1 take our young heroes."

The only downside to all of this is that, at such an early stage in development, Stranger Things: Tales from '85 season 2 has to release date to share. But don't worry, 80s kids, as soon as we know when the show is coming back, you'll be the first to hear. For now, both Stranger Things and Stranger Things: Tales from '85 season 1 are streaming on Netflix.

As we all collectively wait for Stranger Things season 5, here's the keys to getting ready:

• How to watch Stranger Things in chronological or release order
• Getting to know the Stranger Things season 5 cast
• There needs to be more death in Stranger Things, says co-star Gaten Matarazzo
• The Stranger Things time jump between season 4 and 5 has been confirmed by Netflix - and it raises some serious questions
• "They land the plane," David Harbour describes the Stranger Things finale, which he calls its "best episode"