Netflix has confirmed that "Stranger Things: Tales from '85" will return for a second season on 17 September 2026, less than five months after the animated spin-off's debut. The series extends the Stranger Things universe without disrupting the timeline of the flagship show, which concluded in December 2025, allowing Netflix to keep telling new stories set within an established period.

Set during the winter of 1985, between Seasons 2 and 3 of the original show, the animated series reunites Eleven and the Hawkins gang as the Upside Down's influence resurfaces around Valentine's Day, bringing ghostly apparitions and "hate sprites" to the town. Creator Eric Robles has teased that the new season will explore previously unseen parts of Hawkins, including a mine, as the Hawkins Interdimensional Commission investigates the paranormal events before a new gate can open.