McDonald’s Just Announced a New Stranger Things Happy Meal—and There Are 12 Collectible Toys

If you thought that Stranger Things was over, we’ve got some news for ya: It’s not. When the final season of the mammoth Netflix show dropped at the end of 2025, it seemed to herald the end of an era – and with that drop came a mind-boggling number of food collabs. As ever, in our commitment to boots on the ground journalism, we duly rolled up our sleeves in those final few months of the year and tried as many as we could (and for the avoidance of doubt, we liked the Stranger Things Gatorade, while the Stranger Things Doritos left us wanting more). 

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As of April 2026, though, this series shows no signs of dying. Stranger Things: Tales From ‘85 has just dropped on Netflix, and to celebrate, McDonald’s is releasing a new Stranger Things Happy Meal. Here’s what you need to know.

What’s Stranger Things: Tales From ‘85?

This new animated offshoot from the main series follows the main gang of kids in a storyline that takes place between the second and third seasons of the show. It’s aimed at a slightly younger audience than the original Stranger Things, and its style and animation aim to capture the retro feel of ‘80s Saturday morning cartoons. Hey: Stranger Things is pretty valuable IP. If you had it, wouldn’t you try to get the most that you could out of its world and story? 

Okay, Cool. So What’s The Deal With These Happy Meals?

As with other Happy Meals, these Stranger Things-themed versions come with collectible character toys – 12 of them, to be exact. Will these become some of the best Happy Meal toys of all time? It remains to be seen. The meal also comes with an activity book and a scannable QR code. 

On that QR code, McDonald’s is going pretty ambitious with this one, and together with Netflix, it’s building up some lore of its own with these Happy Meals. “Mysterious monsters have spread across Hawkins – and now the creatures have taken over a beloved local hangout: McDonald’s. Luckily, Dustin and the gang have formed the Hawkins Investigators Club, but they can’t defeat this new threat alone,” says the Netflix press release about these meals. “Help save Hawkins (and McDonald’s) from the monsters threatening to take over by scanning the QR code included with every Happy Meal to play an interactive game where you come face to face with the creature.” Time for your kiddo to be a hero. 

When Are They Available? 

The Stranger Things: Tales From ‘85 Happy Meals will be available in McDonald’s stores in the US beginning on May 5. If you’re an international reader, though, they may also be coming to a restaurant near you. These Happy Meals are launching in Canada, Mexico, Brazil, and several other countries on April 28, and are then coming out across the world, from Hong Kong to Switzerland. Check out the Netflix press release for the full list.