Squid Gamemade its long-awaited return toNetflixtoday, debuting all seven episodes of Season 2, and we nowofficially know the fate of the massively popular seriesthat has managed to captivate the world. Premiering in 2021,Squid Gamewas an instant hit on the streaming platform and became the first Korean drama to be featured in the top ten weekly most-watched TV show charts globally. In just its first 28 days, it reached over 142 million member households, and to this day, the series remains one of Netflix’s biggest hits in history.
Now, just a few hours after the premiere ofSquid GameSeason 2, Netflix has confirmed that we will get a Season 3,but that it will be the end of the road for the beloved show. While we always knew that both seasons were filmed back-to-back, this is the first we’ve heard from Netflix about its fate, which was announced on theirTudumblog. They shared an emotional letter from creator Hwang Dong-hyuk (seen below), in which he thanked the fans for propelling the series to unimaginable heightsand revealed thatSquid GameSeason 3 will premiere in 2025.
“I am beyond excited to be writing this letter to announce the date for Season 2 and share the news of Season 3, the final season […] The fierce clash between two worlds will continue into the series finale with Season 3, which will be brought to you next year.”
If You Love ‘Squid Game,’ You’ll Be Hooked on This Equally Twisted Netflix Thriller
Netflix has the perfect series for fans of ‘Squid Game,’ with a similar premise and a far more perilous setting.
That being said, if Dong-hyuk’s original plans came to fruition, we wouldn’tget Season 3 ofSquid Game. Instead,he envisioned Season 2 and 3 as one long arcwhen he was plotting it, but upon closer examination, he realized that it was just too much for Netflix to handle. With Season 2 only being seven episodes, this highlights how much streaming has changed the landscape of television because, in the good old days, companies wouldn’t think twice about having a 20-episode-long or more season. Now, all that seems to have fallen by the wayside – especially in Netflix’s case.
‘Squid Game’ Season 2 Is Dividing Fans and Critics
SinceSquid GameSeason 2 just released today, we won’t spoil things for those who have yet to watch it, but thus far, it’s been a pretty divisive season when you consider its 90% rating on Rotten Tomatoes from critics and 53% from fans. That’s a sharp contrast to Season 1, which is currently Certified Fresh at 95%, with its Popcormeter sitting at a healthy 84%.
Shirley Li of The Atlantic saysSquid GameSeason 2 “displays a meaner, more critical streak toward the cash-poor participants,” while Graeme Guttmann from Screen Rant notes that “three years was worth the wait for another round.” By comparison, Rotten Tomatoes users have said that the second season features no real character development, boring and predictable games, and that it failed to capture what made the first outing so popular.
Either way,Squid Gamehas become as divisive as shows likeGame of Thrones,Dexter, andLost, all of which were praised in their initial seasons but fell out of favor as they progressed. Perhaps it’s a good thing the series is ending with Season 3, so it doesn’t overstay its welcome.
Squid Game
