Netflix Crashes as Stranger Things 5 Premieres Worldwide

Netflix briefly went offline on Wednesday evening as the highly anticipated premiere of Stranger Things Season 5 overwhelmed the platform. The outage occurred at 5 p.m. PT, just as fans rushed to stream the first batch of episodes from the sci-fi series’ final season.

A Brief Crash in the Upside Down

For about three minutes, tens of thousands of users were unable to access Netflix. Instead of Hawkins and the Upside Down, viewers were met with an unexpected image from Nailed It! alongside the message: “Something went wrong. Sorry, we’re having trouble with your request. You’ll find lots to explore on the home page.”

By 5:05 p.m., the service was restored for most users, though some continued to report minor bugs. Variety confirmed Netflix has been contacted for comment regarding the outage.

Not the First Time

This isn’t the first time Netflix has struggled under the weight of Stranger Things traffic. In July 2022, the platform briefly went down when the final two episodes of Season 4 dropped. Similar outages have also occurred during other high-demand events, including the Mike Tyson-Jake Paul fight, one of Netflix’s earliest live-streamed broadcasts.

The Final Season Arrives

Season 5 marks the conclusion of the global phenomenon created by Matt and Ross Duffer. More than three years after the Season 4 finale, the Hawkins kids return to face their most dangerous challenge yet: defeating the monstrous Vecna.

The new episodes find Hawkins under military quarantine, while Eleven hides from authorities. The stakes are higher than ever as friendships, family bonds, and survival collide in the show’s climactic storyline.

A Star-Studded Cast

The ensemble cast includes Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Noah Schnapp, Sadie Sink, Natalia Dyer, Charlie Heaton, Joe Keery, Maya Hawke, Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Cara Buono, Priah Ferguson, Eduardo Franco, Brett Gelman, Dacre Montgomery, Matthew Modine, Paul Reiser, Jamie Campbell Bower, Grace Van Dien, Robert Englund, Tyner Rushing, and Raphael Luce.

Their performances have helped cement Stranger Things as one of Netflix’s most-watched series of all time, blending supernatural thrills with heartfelt character arcs.

Fans React Online

Social media lit up during the outage, with fans joking that Netflix itself had been pulled into the Upside Down. Memes and posts quickly spread, highlighting the massive anticipation surrounding the premiere.

Despite the brief crash, the excitement for Season 5 remains undiminished. The final season promises to deliver the emotional and action-packed conclusion fans have been waiting for.