Baldur’s Gate 3 Creator Reacts to Game’s Influence on Stranger Things Season 5 Finale

Dungeons & Dragons has long been a cornerstone of Stranger Things, but in the fifth season, it was actually Baldur’s Gate 3 that shaped the climactic showdown.

In the series finale, the Party faces off against Vecna and the Mind Flayer in a dramatic battle that culminates in Vecna’s decapitation by Joyce Byers, a scene that Winona Ryder nailed in just two takes. The details of this epic conclusion are thoroughly explored in our breakdown of the season 5 finale.

Interestingly, this pivotal sequence drew inspiration from Larian Studios’ acclaimed RPG, Baldur’s Gate 3. “We were thinking about D&D, and I was playing Baldur’s Gate 3 at the time, and we felt it was very important that the only way for them to defeat it was for the entire party to work together,” Matt Duffer shared.

He elaborated, “Everyone had fully realized – either through self-acceptance or they’ve resolved all their various issues – moving into that final battle, they’re absolutely primed. They’re the ultimate team, and it’s the party working all together to defeat this thing. And they each have their own individual skills, right? And that’s where I go back to Dungeons & Dragons, and something like Baldur’s Gate. Because that’s how you take down these monsters that seem otherwise unstoppable. Lots of video game references were applied to that final battle.”

Larian’s Swen Vincke acknowledged the nod, sharing an article about the inspiration and simply commenting, “That’s pretty cool.”

It’s fitting that Baldur’s Gate 3 influenced Stranger Things, given the significant role Mind Flayers play in the RPG. The finale mirrors the game’s massive battles against formidable Illithid foes, requiring the strength of all allies.

After the climactic confrontation in Stranger Things, where Eleven’s fate hangs in the balance, the Party returns to Mike Wheeler’s basement for one last game of D&D, echoing the very first scene. Additionally, a post-credits moment references Will Byers’s fateful dice roll, which was a seven.

While Stranger Things has concluded on Netflix, some fans speculate about a potential secret episode, which is discussed in our Conformity Gate explainer.