'Stranger Things' final battle WITH Demogorgons goes viral following Episode 9 hoax - WATCH

'Stranger Things' fans were in for a rude reality check on Thursday when it was confirmed that the much-talked-about Episode 9 was all a hoax.

The series ended on New Year's day with the kids from Hawkins facing off against the Mind Flayer and Vecna. However, the short battle sequence, hurried goodbyes and unanswered questions left fans wondering if there was more to the show. Some even went on social media to call out the absence of the Demogorgon and Demodogs who were a constant throughout the show. Many questioned why the franchise’s most iconic monster did not even feature in the battle scene.

'Stranger Things' alternate ending goes viral

Amid the online chatter, fans appear to have created their own version of the ending that has now gone viral online. An AI-generated video imagining the final showdown filled with a Demogorgon army has gone viral across fan pages, clocking nearly 4 million views. The clip reimagines the finale by introducing an army of Demogorgons charging toward Will Byers and his friends, only to see him embrace the full extent of his powers.

WATCH: Fan-made 'Stranger Things' ending

Addressing fan questions about leaving out the monsters from the finale, the Duffer Brothers, speaking to The Wrap, explained that Vecna’s mindset played a key role in this decision. Matt Duffer explained, "Mainly it’s just that Vecna was not expecting this sneak attack on his home turf. Never in a million years could he even imagine that. [The demogorgons] are there somewhere. We obviously discussed having a demo battle on top of the Mind Flayer battle, but it felt more right to us that why does he need the demos when the Mind Flayer is this giant thing and can attack them?"

Matt Duffer also noted that the Upside Down was never intended to be portrayed as a "giant civilisation of demos."

Ross Duffer added that the team also thought of adding “a giant field of demo eggs” as a tribute to James Cameron’s 'Aliens'.