‘The X-Files’ Is Ready to Be Your Free Streaming Binge for the New Year

Most people start off a new year with lofty plans for big projects—new resolutions, new hobbies to get into, and so on and so forth. But if one of your plans includes wanting to either revisit or experience a sci-fi classic for the first time as we enter 2026, then we’ve got good news for you: the very convenient truth is out there.

This morning PlutoTV announced that every episode of X-Files will be streaming for free on its services from January 1, 2026. And they mean every one: 218 episodes, totalled from both the 11 seasons of the classic show and the, uh, occasionally less classic ones from the 2016 revival will be included.

As well as being able to stream every episode on demand, The X-Files will also receive its own 24/7 linear channel from Pluto, also kicking off on January 1 with a chronological broadcast of the whole series, before pivoting to marathons of beloved arcs, themed packages around whatever creepy threats Mulder and Scully could face, and spotlights on major turning points in the show’s vast and intricate mythology.

While it’s not the first time it’s been easy to access all of X-Files through streaming, the new year’s timing is the perfect excuse to revisit the series and see what made it such an enduring icon of its time. Even as we prepare for a January 2026 that is jam-packed with new and returning shows to watch, it’s nice to have a familiar face to fall back on.

Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.