Monopoly Game Spoils ‘Stranger Things’ Season 4, Duffer Brothers Reportedly Aren’t Happy About It

Just a week before the arrival of Stranger Things Season 4, an official Netflix Monopoly game tie-in has spoiled some plot elements from the show’s long-awaited return.

Per the Hollywood Reporter, images from the Monopoly game tie-in’s set of cards have started to surface online, and appear to spoil major plot points from the new episodes, much to the dismay of the show’s creators, Matt and Ross Duffer. According to sources close to brothers, the pair had a “total meltdown” about the situation.

The Reddit thread that first leaked the images said the game, which is not officially out yet, was purchased at “a nationally recognized retailer and purchased fair and square by a consumer,” adding that “nobody stole it; nobody leaked a sample.” Whether that’s actually the case remains to be seen, but some alleged copies of the  board have started to show up on sites such as eBay.

“Lessons have been learned and, I expect, there will be more cohesion going into season five,” a source added, noting that the amount of Stranger Things franchising makes it difficult to predict when something might leak ahead of time.

This isn’t the first time franchising has inadvertently spoiled a highly-anticipated new entry in a beloved franchise, as many Star Wars fans are likely aware of. 

Stranger Things Season 4 will debut its first volume on May 27, while the second half of the season will arrive on July 1.