Summary
Squid Gameseason 2 may still be months away from being released, but a third season of the South Korean series is looking more likely than ever. Since premiering on Netflix in 2021,Squid Gamehas proven to be a massive hit for the streaming service and has become something of a cultural phenomenon.Squid Gameseason 2is currently in development and scheduled to be released in December 2024. Like the first run of episodes,Squid Game’s sophomore year is expected to be a big success, so much so that a third season is already on the cards.
A fusion of several genres, including thriller, sci-fi, and dystopian horror,Squid Gamecenters on a group of 456 financially poor people forced to compete in a series of underground children’s games with deadly twists. The series captured the audience’s imaginations with its underlying themes of capitalism and social class. As well as a second season, the show’s popularity has led to a reality challenge spin-off and rumors of aSquid GameUS remake. All of this means thatSquid Gameseason 3 could be months away from being announced.
7 Harsh Realities Of Rewatching Squid Game More Than 2 Years Later
Squid Game took the world by storm when it debuted on Netflix in 2021, but there are some harsh realities of rewatching the show today.
Squid Game Continues To Be One Of Netflix’s Biggest Shows Almost 3 Years Later
The Series Has Demonstrated Enduring Popularity With Viewers
the main reason forSquid Game’s popularity lies in its quality and originality rather than any external factors.
Despite first finding its way onto Netflix back in September 2021,Squid Gamehas remained popular with viewers in the time since. In fact, according toNetflix’s “What We Watched” report, a biannual report covering viewership on the site,Squid Gamewas one of the streaming service’s most viewed titles of 2023. The show accumulated 25 million views across the first half and second half of 2023. This puts the series among Netflix’s three biggest titles of all time, behind only the supernatural seriesWednesdayand the Dwayne Johnson-starring action-comedyRed Notice,which were released in 2022 and 2021, respectively.
Jun 02, 2025
25M
Squid Gameseason 1’s enduring popularity is a positive sign for both Netflix and the future of the show. The first season was released amid the COVID-19 pandemic, meaning the show’s success could be attributed to lockdowns and other restrictions. However, the fact that the showhas continued to entice viewers long after COVID restrictions were lifted demonstrates that the main reason forSquid Game’s popularity lies in its quality and originality rather than any external factors.
Squid Game: The Challenge Was Also A Hit For Netflix
It Was The Biggest Reality Challenge Show Of All Time
Theworldwide success ofSquid Gameseason 1led to the development ofSquid Game: The Challenge, which also proved to be a hit for Netflix. Initially released in November 2023,Squid Game: The Challengeis a reality competition adaptation ofSquid Gamewhich sees real-life people competing in challenges similar to those seen on the show, only without the deadly consequences. Billed as the biggest reality competition of all time,Squid Game: The Challengeinvolved 456 players, a $10 million budget, and a cash prize of $4.56 million.
Not only didSquid Game: The Challengedo well in its own right, but its popularity increased the viewership ofSquid Gameby 34%.
The “throw everything at it” approach toSquid Game: The Challengeultimately paid off, with the first season becoming an instant hit. The show accumulated a total of 33M views in 2023, which is especially impressive given how late in the year it was released. Owing to the success of its debut run,Squid Game: The Challengeseason 2is currently in the works. However, not only didSquid Game: The Challengedo well in its own right, but its popularity increased the viewership ofSquid Gameby 34% (according to Netflix’s report), again demonstrating how much of a bankable brandSquid Gameis.
8 Biggest Similarities Between The 8 Show & Squid Game
Squid Game and new Netflix’s K-drama The 8 Show share many similarities and their likeness strengthens a bold commentary on social issues.
Squid Game Season 3 Is More Likely To Happen Than Not
Netflix Will Want To Capitalize On The Show’s Success
The dawn of streaming means that if a show doesn’t perform as well as expected during its initial run, it gets canceled before even getting a chance at a second season. Consequently, the only shows that stand a chance of making it past a second run of episodes are the ones that end up being mega hits.Squid Gamecertainly falls into this category. Unless season 2 proves to be a massive flop, which is highly unlikely, season 3 is pretty much guaranteed to happen.
Ultimately,Netflix can’t really afford not to renewSquid Gamefor a season 3. After all, while the streaming service is jam-packed with movie and TV titles, very few actually get watched by a substantial amount of viewers. Netflix, therefore, relies on a handful of titles (Wednesday, Stranger Things, etc.) to keep people paying their subscription fee.Squid Game, with its impressive viewing statistics and popular spin-off series, is easily one of the streaming service’s most reliable titles. Not renewing it for a third season would almost be an act of self-sabotage on Netflix’s part.
