Stranger Things final scene with Mike sparks same ‘mind blowing’ theory from fans

Warning: this article contains major spoilers for the Stranger Things finale

Stranger Things fans have been left reeling after rattling through the very last episode of the hit Netflix series they've been obsessed with since it first hit our screens back in 2016.

The fifth and final episode came out on New Year's Eve and, let's just say, it's sparked quite the reaction from fans on social media, with many rushing online to share their reactions, thoughts and many, many theories.

Now, we've already discussed what really happened to Eleven, but the final scene with Mike Hopper, played by Finn Wolfhard and David Harbour respectfully, has sparked a seriously 'mind-blowing' theory from those in the dedicated Stranger Things fandom.

Anyone who's watched the episode will know, the show closes where it began, in a cosy basement with a Dungeons & Dragons game. However, only now, the original kids finish their final adventure and climb the stairs, leaving childhood behind, while a new group takes their place at the table.

"You're telling me Stranger Things was a f*cking Dungeons & Dragons campaign this whole time?!! Mike was the Dungeon Master..." speculated one fan.

A second chimed in: "Honestly… mind blown. So all of this was a fantasy role-playing game? Oh god… this was one of the original ideas of the Duffers."

"I interpreted it that all that happened happened, and Mike created his own DND game and called it 'Stranger Things' based on his and his friends' childhood," shared a third, while a fourth penned: "Stranger Things Season 5 has a total runtime of 10 hours and 20 minutes. Sounds familiar? In the very first episode, Mike tells Karen they've already been playing D&D for 10 hours... and just need 20 more minutes."

Stranger Things fans were left seriously divided over the final Mike scene (Netflix)

Others, however, couldn't have disagreed more.

"No, it wasn't. They played DND one last time so Mike could explain El's death in a way they would understand her choice and help them all cope with her being gone," wrote a fifth.

A sixth piped up: "It was all real, Mike just turned it into a DND game, they said he couldn't tell anybody, they didn't say he couldn't turn it into a game, that's what he was typing."

"No. Everything happened. They just played a final game," echoed another.

And a final fan added: "They played one last game, they are all moving along in life... Mike's way of closure."

OK, it may be ambiguous to some fans out there, but ultimately, it seems like the Duffer Brothers left it up to viewers to decide what they think happens to Eleven.

But for the Hawkins crew, 'she lives on in their hearts, whether that’s real or not,' writer and producer Ross Duffer told Tudum.