EastEnders has hinted at a mysterious attack rocking Walford in scenes airing early next year. The BBC soap is ringing in the New Year with another case to crack for the Walford police as they’ll be investigating in episodes making the air in mid-January.

In freshly released spoilers, tensions rise as multiple Walford residents could be involved in the storyline. While the soap hasn’t confirmed the identity of the characters being targeted, it appears that the investigation into the attack could make for the Square’s first mystery of 2026.The BBC confirmed the investigation won’t resolve within a single episode, as scenes airing on 13 January see officers continue to hunt down a culprit.

At present, there are several candidates who could be ambushed, including Linda Carter, who has a big 2026 storyline as her reunion with her high school friend Bea spells trouble.

Elsewhere, Ravi Gulati could also be involved after he was badly beaten up earlier this year. Will he seek revenge on his assailants? Or is someone else involved?

Following his recent return to Walford, Max Branning “gets a new fan”, though he also has a few enemies to watch out for after the New Year’s big flashforward episode.

As Max’s brother Jack Branning is set to “turn up the pressure”, could he be getting closer to find out some answers? Or is he acting corruptly to cover a crime up?