Netflix has officially confirmed the release dates for Stranger Things 5, and it should be no surprise that it's being set up as a big event. The fifth and final season of Stranger Things will air in three batches. Volume I comes out on November 26, Volume II will follow on December 25, and The Finale drops on New Year's Eve, all at 5:00 p.m. PT. Yes, Stranger Things is claiming a prime time television slot for Thanksgiving eve, Christmas, and New Year's Eve this year for Netflix.
Obviously, this is thrilling news for fans of Stranger Things. This announcement came at Tudum, a celebration where Netflix unveiled a bunch of new information about its biggest upcoming shows and movies, including Squid Game, Wednesday, One Piece, and Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein movie. But there was one huge fantasy show in Netflix's stable that was conspicuously absent: The Witcher, which the streamer previously announced would release its fourth season sometime in 2025. Now, I think it's looking much more likely it won't premiere until 2026.
When will The Witcher season 4 come out?
Omitting The Witcher season 4 from Tudum isn't enough on its own to make me think the show has been delayed. But if you look at Netflix's upcoming release schedule for big series, there's very little space for The Witcher. Let's look to the months ahead:
- Squid Game season 3: June 27
- The Sandman season 2: July 3 and July 24
- Wednesday season 2: August 6 and September 3
- Stranger Things: November 26, December 25, December 31
The Witcher's first two seasons released in December 2019 and December 2021, respectively. Season 3 came out in two volumes in June and July of 2023. Now Squid Game, The Sandman, and Wednesday are taking up most of the streamer's summer, and Stranger Things 5 is marked out as its big winter release. I think it's likely that The Witcher will either release in late September and October or will be pushed back to 2026.
Right now, I'm betting on 2026. The other event where Netflix could announce The Witcher season 4 is Geeked Week, which took place in September last year. We don't know when Geeked Week is happening yet in 2025, but if it's too close to those autumn months, I doubt Netflix will use it to announce a show whose release is only a month or two out. That doesn't give it much time to build anticipation.
Of course, all this assumes that Netflix is going to want to make a big deal out of The Witcher season 4, and not have it compete with its own other tentpole fantasy shows. I suppose there is always the possibility the streamer could dump it onto the platform with very little fanfare, like it seems to be doing with The Sandman following creator Neil Gaiman's sexual abuse scandal. I don't think that's likely, though; The Witcher season 4 is the first season with Liam Hemsworth in the role of Geralt of Rivia following Henry Cavill's departure, and Netflix is going to have to build serious hype to get people on board for the transition.
The Witcher is already deep into filming its fifth and final season. So we know that season 4 is coming, and that it won't be too long afterward that we'll get season 5. Perhaps Netflix is considering pushing season 4 back so that it can air them closer together? Or perhaps it will hit that late September and October window, aligning with the release of Andrzej Sapkowski's next Witcher book Crossroads of Ravens, which comes out in the U.S. and UK on September 30?
Time will tell. For now, we keep our ear to the ground for any updates about The Witcher season 4.
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