It’s been more than two years since Squid Game came out of nowhere and captured the hearts of Netflix viewers across the globe. It’s sparked a pop-up experience, a David Fincher remake, and even a reality show, but while we were promised a second season, there’s still no sign of a return to Seong Gi-hun’s story and that candy-colored arena.
But thanks to a new teaser, we finally know when Season 2 will premiere — and when the entire series will end. The finale is coming sooner than fans may have wanted, but it’s the right decision for the story. Check out the announcement below.
Squid Game Season 2 will premiere this year, but it will come in just under the wire with a December 26 release date, in case you want to immediately move on from the good vibes of Christmas. Season 3, meanwhile, is slated for 2025. But while there won’t be another lengthy wait between seasons, Season 3 will also be the last.
Showrunner Hwang Dong-hyuk accompanied the announcement with a statement, saying Season 2 will pick up right where Season 1 left off. “Seong Gi-hun who vowed revenge at the end of Season 1 returns and joins the game again,” he wrote. “Will he succeed in getting his revenge? Front Man doesn’t seem to be an easy opponent this time either. The fierce clash between their two worlds will continue into the series finale with Season 3, which will be brought to you next year.”
With Season 3 already green-lit, there’s no pressure to create a Season 2 that could or could not serve as a series finale, depending on Netflix's whims. Instead, it can be the first part of an epic showdown between Gi-hun and Front Man. Ending the series after three seasons feels like a smart move; there’s only so much story to tell here, and the lightning-in-a-bottle success of Squid Game could run out of steam eventually.
Besides, Hwang told The Guardian in 2021 that writing and directing “was physically, mentally and emotionally draining. I kept having new ideas and revising the episodes as we were filming so the amount of work multiplied.” Supposedly, he even lost six teeth during the process. So, for the sake of both the story and Hwang’s dental bills, let’s enjoy two more seasons and then move on. Unlike so many streaming series, fans can rest easy knowing Squid Game will get a proper ending.
