The highly anticipated series finale of Stranger Things premiered on December 31, 2025, and its release was not without turbulence, as Netflix experienced a brief crash due to the overwhelming influx of viewers. This disruption occurred exactly when "Chapter Eight: The Rightside Up" went live at 5 p.m. Pacific Time, leaving many fans unable to stream the finale at launch.
Reports of the outage quickly spread across social media platforms, with users expressing their frustration over being locked out of the service. Some viewers encountered error messages, while others were met with frozen screens or Netflix's standard error notice. The outage, though short-lived, sparked immediate reactions from fans eager to witness the conclusion of the Duffer Brothers' supernatural saga.
Netflix seemingly anticipated the high demand, with Stranger Things co-showrunner Ross Duffer mentioning prior to the premiere that the platform had increased its bandwidth by 30% to prevent a crash. Despite these efforts, the sheer volume of viewers attempting to access the finale simultaneously proved to be too much for the streaming service to handle.
This isn't the first time a Stranger Things release has caused technical difficulties for Netflix. A similar crash occurred when the first four episodes of Season 5 were released in November 2025. The platform also experienced glitches during the final episodes of Season 4 in July 2022. However, Netflix successfully managed the release of the second batch of Season 5 episodes on Christmas Day, which helped the platform achieve its highest-ever viewership for that date.
The Stranger Things Season 5 finale was also screened in select theaters on New Year's Eve, adding to the excitement surrounding the show's conclusion. Despite the initial technical difficulties, fan enthusiasm remained high. Viewers took to social media to share memes, reactions, and tributes to the series, underscoring its immense popularity and cultural impact.
The final season of Stranger Things was released in three parts: Volume 1 on November 26, Volume 2 on December 25, and the series finale on December 31. Season 5 garnered significant viewership, drawing 34.5 million views between December 22 and 28.
The series, created by Matt and Ross Duffer, premiered in 2016 and quickly became a global phenomenon. The show combines elements of science fiction, horror, mystery, and coming-of-age drama. Set in the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana, Stranger Things follows a group of young friends as they confront supernatural forces and a terrifying alternate dimension known as the Upside Down. The series stars Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Millie Bobby Brown, and Finn Wolfhard.
