Skip to main content
Join The Community
- Join our community
11
Premium Benefits
24/7
Access Available
21K+
Active Members
Commenting
Join the discussion
Exclusive Articles Coming Soon
Member-only articles
Weekly Newsletters
Weekly gaming & entertainment news
Member Badges
Earn badges as you go
Exclusive Competitions
Members-only prize draws
Curated Deals Coming Soon
Tech and gaming deals worth grabbing
GET COMMUNITY ACCESS QUICK
For the quickest way to join, simply enter your email below and get access. We will send a confirmation and sign you up to our newsletter to keep you updated on all your gaming news.
By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
FIND OUT ABOUT OUR MAGAZINE
Want to subscribe to the magazine? Click the button below to find out more information.
Find out more
GET Community ACCESS QUICK

Join the GamesRadar community for quick access. Enter your email below and we'll send confirmation, and sign you up to our newsletter.

By submitting your information, you confirm you are aged 16 or over, have read our Privacy Policy and agree to the Terms & Conditions. Geographical rules apply.

Background
Welcome to GamesRADAR+ Community !
Hi ,

Your membership journey starts here.

Keep exploring and earning more as a member.

MY ACCOUNT

Badge picture
Earn your first badge
Read 1 article to unlock your first badge.
Keep earning badges
Explore ways to get more involved as a member.
Latest Games News

Latest Games News

Breaking gaming news and updates

Read Now
Latest Games Reviews

Latest Games Reviews

Expert verdicts on the newest releases

Read Now

See what you’ve unlocked.

Explore your membership benefits.

Explore
Member Exclusives

Stay Ahead with GamesRadar+

Get the biggest gaming news, reviews, and releases straight to your inbox.

Explore

Sign Out
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+
US EditionUS CA EditionCanada UK EditionUK AU EditionAustralia
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Games
    • Game Insights
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • Big Preview
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
    • Genres
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
    • Franchises
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
  • Hardware
    • Insights
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
      • Buying Guides
    • Computing
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
    • Accessories & Tech
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Video
    • Video
    • GR+ Replay - Submit Your Clips
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
  • Home
  • Games
    • View Games
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • Big Preview
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • View Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • View Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • View TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • View Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • View Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • View Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
  • Hardware
    • View Hardware
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
      • Buying Guides
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • View Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Video
    • View Video
    • Video
    • GR+ Replay - Submit Your Clips
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
Trending
  • Best Netflix Movies
  • Movie Release Dates
  • Best movies on Disney Plus
  • Best Netflix Shows
Sign up for the Total Film Newsletter

Bringing all the latest movie news, features, and reviews to your inbox


By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

You are now subscribed

Your newsletter sign-up was successful


Join the club

Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards.


An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
  1. Entertainment
  2. TV
  3. Sci-Fi Shows
  4. Stranger Things

Stranger Things season 5's final episode confirmed to be feature-length, but is shorter than the season 4 finale

News
By Bradley Russell published 15 October 2025

Matt Duffer says the Stranger Things finale clocks in at "around two hours"

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Noah Schnapp in Stranger Things season 5
(Image credit: Netflix)
  • Facebook
  • X
  • Pinterest
  • Flipboard
  • Email
Share this article
0
Join the conversation
Follow us
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Subscribe to our newsletter

After months of speculation and fan mock-ups on social media, the Stranger Things creators Matt and Ross Duffer have confirmed the runtime for the season 5 finale.

As revealed partway through a bumper Variety feature on the end of the Netflix series, the Stranger Things season 5 is currently at "around two hours" according to Matt Duffer though, of course, that could fluctuate over the coming weeks. That pales in comparison to season 4's two hours and 22 minutes.

Still, it gives us a ballpark figure for a season that is rapidly becoming one of the longest Netflix seasons ever.

Latest Videos From
Watch full video here:

Just recently, Ross Duffer confirmed the season 5, volume 1 runtimes (68 minutes, 54 minutes, 66 minutes, and 83 minutes, in case you were wondering).

Don't expect any more episodes to approach the 90-minute mark, however. Despite plenty of rumors and misinformation suggesting fans would be settling in for multiple two-hour episodes and a three-hour finale this holiday season, Matt Duffer debunked those "inaccurate" claims in a separate interview with Variety – and confirmed only episodes four and eight would be feature-length.

You may like
  • Jack Quaid as Hughie  in The Boys season 5 episode 7 trailer After The Boys season 5's penultimate episode, fans are wondering how the show will wrap up in the 65-minute finale
  • Stranger Things: Tales from '85 cast Stranger Things: Tales from '85 release schedule – what time is the Stranger Things spin-off on Netflix?
  • Antony Starr as Homelander in The Boys season 5 Ahead of The Boys series finale, Homelander star seeimignly shades Stranger Things' low-stakes final episode

In case you've been living under a rock – or in the Upside Down – recently, you may have missed that Stranger Things season 5 will be split into three volumes. The first batch, consisting of four episodes, arrives on November 26.

From there, it's an excruciating month-long wait until volume 2's three episodes on December 25. Then, the finale premieres on Netflix on December 31 – ensuring a hectic, possibly soul-crushing 2026 for all as Stranger Things rings in the New Year.

Need something to watch in the meantime? Head on over to our picks for best Netflix shows and best Netflix movies.

CATEGORIES
Netflix Streaming Services
Bradley Russell
Bradley Russell
Social Links Navigation
Senior Entertainment Writer

I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.

Read more
Jack Quaid as Hughie  in The Boys season 5 episode 7 trailer
Superhero Shows After The Boys season 5's penultimate episode, fans are wondering how the show will wrap up in the 65-minute finale
 
 
Stranger Things: Tales from '85 cast
Netflix Stranger Things: Tales from '85 release schedule – what time is the Stranger Things spin-off on Netflix?
 
 
Antony Starr as Homelander in The Boys season 5
Superhero Shows Ahead of The Boys series finale, Homelander star seeimignly shades Stranger Things' low-stakes final episode
 
 
Nikki and Will in Stranger Things: Tales From '85
Animated Shows Where does Stranger Things: Tales From '85 take place on the Stranger Things timeline?
 
 
Millie Bobby Brown as Eleven in Stranger Things season 5 episode 8
Sci-Fi Shows Duffer Brothers debunk Stranger Things theory, joke they'll reveal Eleven's fate "20 years from now"
 
 
Millie Bobby Brown as Eleven in Stranger Things season 5 episode 8
Sci-Fi Shows The wait for new seasons of big TV shows has almost doubled in the last 6 years, says report
 
 
Latest in Sci Fi Shows
Peter Capaldi as the Doctor in Doctor Who
Sci-Fi Shows Twelfth Doctor star says he has "lost count now of how many [Doctors] there are" because of "too many regenerations"
 
 
Peter Sarsgaard as Wiles in The Bride
Sci-Fi Shows The Last of Us season 3 is adding The Batman star as another show-original Seraphite character
 
 
Doctor Who
Sci-Fi Shows Doctor Who could be off air for 5 years industry insiders predict, but it will survive like "Marvel"
 
 
Stranger Things
Sci-Fi Shows David Harbour says he's developing "several" projects with Stranger Things co-star Millie Bobby Brown
 
 
Docto Who season 2 finale
Sci-Fi Shows Doctor Who's Christmas cancelation is the best thing that could happen to the show
 
 
Ncuti Gatwa as The Doctor in Doctor Who season 2
Sci-Fi Shows Doctor Who showrunner makes shock departure and Christmas special canceled as sci-fi classic is set to be rebooted
 
 
Latest in News
Spider-Man stretches in Brand New Day
Open World Games Marvel's Spider-Man 2 gets its first update in over a year as Brand New Day suit hits PS5 and PC
 
 
Call of Duty Black Ops 1 soldier holding a gun and wearing sunglasses
Call of Duty Treyarch confirms Call of Duty: Black Ops 1 and 2 are "being ported to PlayStation"
 
 
Palworld character wincing at sunlight
Survival Games "Gamers don't want it": Palworld lead says Pocketpair doesn't touch AI because players hate it
 
 
Murray Bartlett in The Death of Robin Hood
Thriller Movies The Last of Us star says no one recognized him on set of The Death of Robin Hood: "People were like, 'Who's that guy?'"
 
 
Fractured Blooms character stands in field
Simulation Games This farming sim horror demo is better than anything you'll play during Steam Next Fest
 
 
Lalalfel riding a shiba inu in Final Fantasy 14
Final Fantasy Final Fantasy 14 rewards Japanese players for paying their taxes: make a donation and get a pile of MMO cosmetics
 
 
LATEST ARTICLES
  1. Spider-Man stretches in Brand New Day
    1
    Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is getting its first update in over a year as Insomniac brings Spidey's Brand New Day suit to PS5 and PC
  2. 2
    The Last of Us star says no one recognized him on set of The Death of Robin Hood: "People were like, 'Who's that guy?'"
  3. 3
    Treyarch confirms Call of Duty: Black Ops 1 and 2 are "being ported to PlayStation" and "will include Campaign, Multiplayer, and Zombies"
  4. 4
    New Spider-Man: Brand New Day trailer sees Tom Holland's Peter Parker start to lose control as an invisible villain causes Hulk-level havoc
  5. 5
    "Gamers don't want it": Palworld lead says Pocketpair doesn't touch AI because players hate it and artists "like doing stuff themselves"

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google
  • Terms and conditions
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Accessibility statement
  • Careers
  • About us
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...