Stranger Things Season 5 Vol. 2: Release schedule. runtimes, and recap ahead of series finale

Volume 2 of the final season premieres on Netflix on December 25, 2025

It has been almost a decade since Stranger Things first premiered, and the series is now entering its final stretch, with Season 5 volume 2 set to arrive just days before the show’s concluding chapter.

Stranger Things Season 5 Volume 2 will release on Netflix on Christmas Day, December 25, 2025. The final season has followed a holiday-based release pattern, with volume one debuting the day before Thanksgiving in the United States and the two-hour finale scheduled for New Year’s Day. Volume two sits between those releases, acting as the final build-up to the show’s conclusion.

Unlike previous Netflix launches, the release time has been adjusted. Rather than debuting at midnight Pacific Time, the three new episodes will be available from 5:00 pm PT, or 8:00 pm ET. The change positions the drop as a prime-time viewing event, aimed at reducing spoiler exposure and encouraging communal viewing on Christmas evening.

Volume 2 consists of three episodes with extended runtimes. Episode five, titled “Shock Jock”, runs for 1 hour and 8 minutes. Episode six, “Escape From Camazotz”, is the longest at 1 hour and 15 minutes, while episode seven, “The Bridge”, runs for 1 hour and 6 minutes. Combined, the volume totals close to three and a half hours.

Netflix has already released a trailer offering new footage of Vecna, Max, Holly and the Hawkins group. The preview suggests Vecna is more powerful than before, raising the stakes as the series moves towards its ending.

Volume one concluded with Will Byers revealing unexpected abilities, while Vecna escaped with twelve “vessels”, including Holly. Several key characters, including Eleven, Hopper, Dustin, Steve and Jonathan, remain trapped in the Upside Down. Volume two is expected to focus on reuniting the group and setting the stage for the final confrontation.

Stranger Things Season 5 Volume 2 premieres on Netflix on December 25, 2025.