Titanic-sized New ‘Squid Game’ Season 3 Update Proves It’ll Break a Season 2 Record But It’s a Double-edged Sword

South Korean dystopian survival thriller Squid Game’s Season 2 is one of the hotly anticipated series of 2024. Developed by Hwang Dong-hyuk for Netflix and starring Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon, Lee Byung-hun, and more, the series is all set to premiere in December 2024.

Set three years after Gi-hun won Squid Game, the second season will see him return to the same survival game but with a new mindset. Gi-hun steps into the arena with new participants recruited by Gong Yoo, who are ready to play the game of life and death for the prize of ₩45.6 billion. As fans eagerly wait for season two to drop, the creator of the show has some news for the fans, which may or may not excite them.

Season 3 will be the final season of the dystopian survival thriller; Squid Game

Hwang Dong-hyuk’s Squid Game premiered in 2021 on Netflix and opened to critical acclaim and international recognition. The dystopian survival thriller series broke all the records and became the most-watched program in 94 countries, attracting 142 million member households and 1.65 billion viewing hours. (via Variety)

The cast and crew of the show were highly appreciated for their exceptional performances. The unique concept of the show attracted an audience worldwide, with Lee Jung-jae earning Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series at the Primetime Emmy. He became the first Asian actor to win the award for a non-English part.

Fans have been eagerly waiting for Season 2, which is scheduled to premiere on December 26, 2024. But ahead of season 2’s release, the creator of the show has announced that season 2, scheduled for a 2025 release, is going to be the final season of the series. He wrote (via Netflix Tudum),

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 Gi-hun and Front Man’s two worlds will continue into the series finale with Season 3, which will be brought to you next year.

According to Pop Base, Dong-hyuk has shared that the final season is in its post-production and will be released soon. Now, as much as the fans wish to have season 3 sooner, they are also concerned with the fact that the time gap between 2 and 3 seems a little rushed. The gap between 1 and 2 is almost three years, which gave the makers an opportunity to look at the finest details.

Unfortunately, fans believe the same cannot be said for Season 3, as before Season 2’s premiere, the final season is ready. The viewers would have wanted the makers to take their time, see the response, see what the audience has to say about the new season, and then work on the final season. The creator and the streaming platform do not want to stretch the series to its breaking point. Thus, they decided the third season would be the last.

Squid Game 2 official trailer increases anticipation for fans

The premiere date for season 2 of Squid Game is near, and the official trailer for the series recently dropped. The trailer sees Seong Gi-hun returning to the deadly arena along with hundreds of new participants recruited by Gong Yoo. Gi-hun can be seen in his Player 456 jersey and tries to safely lead the bunch.

The first game that the new players will play is Red Light Green Light. As Gi-hun previously played the game and survived, he tries to coach the players on how to survive, but things take a bloody turn when a player moves and is shot dead.

The trailer shows that the new players who are desperate to win the prize are not paying heed to Gi-hun’s plea to focus on getting out of the place. The creator shared (via BBC),

Gi-hun’s endeavor to find out who these people are and why they do what they do is the core story for season two.

In his conversation with EW, the creator shared that Gi-hun is a very different person in the upcoming season. He added that the viewers will not get the foolish, clumsy, or childish Gi-hun like he saw in Season 1. It’s going to be a heavier, darker side of the character.

Season 2 of Squid Game premieres on December 26, 2024. Season 1 is streaming on Netflix.