$7 million is now riding on new Stranger Things episode being released

The viral theory that Stranger Things was set to announce a secret ninth episode may have started as a fun online trend: but there are now millions riding on it coming out.

Netflix’s finale of Stranger Things has spawned a bizarre online theory called ‘Conformity Gate’, theorising that a secret ninth episode is set to be released.

Conformity Gate hinges on the idea that everything we see in the finale episode, and some of the penultimate episode, was actually a vision shown to Mike by Vecna.

Whilst this may sound farfetched, the signs pointing towards it being true have been piling up, ranging from plot holes to fans pointing out some subtle links to The Truman Show.

Netflix have all but debunked the theory though as a major part of Conformity Gate was the idea that on January 7^th their ‘What’s Next’ announcement was going to reveal the secret ninth episode.

Stranger Things fans think another episode is waiting in the wings (Netflix)

The announcement has come and gone with no reveal of a ninth episode and now, unless Netflix release a new finale in the next 12 hours, people are going to lose out on a whopping $7 million.

As many of you will probably have guessed, this links to Polymarket, the bizarre crypto-based betting site where you can bet on just about literally anything.

This includes being able to bet on Stranger Things releasing a new episode but also to be able to bet on things such as whether Israel will strike Iran by the end of the month, who the Venezuelan leader will be at the end of 2026, and whether there will be a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine in the next few months.

Polymarket bets that are available are bizarrely wide ranging (Polymarket)

The bets on Stranger Things releasing an episode nine clearly had fans thinking they could get ahead of the curve, with over $7,000,000 having been placed on a new episode releasing today.

How this works is that, if there is no episode by 11.59PM ET, Polymarket will keep all $7,000,000.

There is also a separate betting line with $360,000 having been bet suggesting that there will be a new episode by January 31.

The comments are full of people referencing the viral theory, with one popular comment saying: “#conformitygate gang lets do this.”

Another says: “I've never willingly threw away so much money before... but tiktok convinced me.”

Conformity Gate led to hosts of fans betting on the show (Polymarket)

The odds currently stand at 2% for the episode to be released in the next 12 hours but even that would be considered hopeful by many.

Even if you did think another episode was set to be announced, many believed that today was simply when it was going to be announced, not when it was going to be released.

Unfortunately, it seems like the most likely outcome by far is the betting site taking everyone’s money in the next 12 hours, which leads to a really important life lesson: never bet on something because of a TikTok trend.

Please gamble responsibly. For help, support and advice about problem gambling, contact the National Gambling Helpline anytime on 0808 8020 133