Netflix has officially released the first teaser trailer for the highly anticipated fifth and final season of Stranger Things, giving fans their first glimpse at what’s to come when the beloved series returns this fall. Set in the wake of Hawkins being torn open by the Rifts, Season 5 promises the biggest and darkest chapter yet.

Picking up in fall 1987, the new season finds the town under military quarantine, Vecna missing in action, and Eleven forced back into hiding. As the anniversary of Will Byers’ disappearance looms, so does an ominous new threat. According to the official synopsis, the group’s mission is simple: find and kill Vecna — but the path ahead is anything but.

The trailer teases massive scale, high stakes, and an emotional farewell for fans who’ve followed the series since its 2016 debut. Expect long-awaited answers about the Upside Down and the series’ deeper mythology — some of which originated in a 25-page document written by creators Matt and Ross Duffer during the show’s earliest development.

Returning cast members include Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, Gaten Matarazzo, Sadie Sink, Maya Hawke, Joe Keery, and Jamie Campbell Bower as Vecna — alongside new additions such as Jake Connelly, Alex Breaux, and Linda Hamilton.

From its early days as a nostalgic love letter to ‘80s sci-fi and horror classics, Stranger Things has become a true pop culture juggernaut. As the countdown to the final season begins, one thing is certain: Hawkins may never be the same again.

Stranger Things 5 will release this fall: four episodes on Nov. 26, three episodes
on Christmas, and the finale episode
on New Year’s Eve.