In December 2024, Netflix has a special Christmas gift for Squid Game fans – a highly-anticipated second instalment of the Korean show. But the bloody tale about the lethal competition doesn’t end with season 2 – the series will soon be back with its third and final instalment.
The dystopian show follows a group of civilians who are desperate to win a huge cash prize of 45.6 billion won. They are put through a series of gruelling challenges, where they face off against one another in twisted versions of children’s games. If they lose, they face deadly consequences.
However, this time, the competition will look different. Not only will there be new bloody challenges, but also a spark of revolution that may lead to the destruction of the game once and for all.
If you want to know when the show will be returning, who will be back and what we expect it to be about, we have everything you need to know.
When will Squid Game season 3 be released?
The third and final season of Squid Game will premiere on Netflix in 2025. The exact release date hasn’t officially been announced, though a leak may give us an idea of when to expect it.
Forbes reported that Netflix Korea briefly had a video live with the date 27 June 2025. That’s only six months after season 2 was released – though it isn’t entirely surprising given that both seasons were filmed back-to-back, and are essentially two halves of one story.
The same article also includes a quote from showrunner Hwang Dong-hyu, which confirms that: “I originally envisioned it as a single series, so both seasons two and three as a single series when I was writing it. But then, as I wrote the story along, it became to be too many episodes and too long of a story”.
We don’t know for sure if that Netflix summer release date is true, so we’ll update this article when we know more.
Spoilers for Squid Game season 2 below – you’ve been warned!
Netflix
Squid Game season 3 cast – who is returning?
In the third season of the series, we will again see Lee Jung-jae starring as Seong Gi-hun. The cast will also include:
- Wi Ha-jun as Hwang Jun-ho – The undercover cop
- Lee Byung-hun – The Front Man
- Im Si-wan as Lee Myung-gi – Former YouTuber and crypto scammer
- Jo Yu-ri as Kim Jun-hee – Myung-gi’s pregnant ex-girlfriend
- Yang Dong-geun as Park Yong-sik – Gambler
- Kang Ae-shim as Jang Geum-ja – Yong-sik’s mother
- Park Sung-hoon as Cho Hyun-ju – Transgender woman and former special forces soldier
- Kang Ha-neul as Kang Dae-ho – Former marine
- Chae Kook-hee as Seon-nyeo – Shaman
- Roh Jae-won as Nam-gyu – Another victim of Myung-gi’s crypto scam
- Oh Dal-su as Sea Captain Park – Sailor who rescued Jun-ho
- Park Gyu-young as Kang No-eul – Former North Korean soldier and a game guard
Of course, it’s very possible that the new actors will join the series.
Unfortunately, Gong Yoo won’t return as the Recruiter – the sociopathic envoy committed suicide at the beginning of season 2, while playing Russian roulette with Gi-hun. Kim Pub-lae, who starred as Mr. Kim, a loan shark, won’t return either since the Recruiter killed his character at the beginning of season 2.
The following players also perished during the games:
- Park Jung-bae (played by Lee Seo-hwan) – Gi-hun’s friend shot by Front Man
- Thanos (played by Choi Seung-hyun) – The menacing purple-haired rapper
- Se-mi (played by Won Ji-an) – Friend of Gi-hun’s group
- Gyeong-seok (played by Lee Jin-wook) – Father raising money for his daughter’s surgery
Is there a trailer for Squid Game season 3?
Unfortunately, Netflix hasn’t yet released a trailer for the new season. You can, however, rewatch the trailer for season 2 and recall Gi-hun plan.
What will the plot of Squid Game season 3 be?
After winning the 45.6 billion won cash prize, Gi-hun decided to participate in the lethal game again. After his friend’s death, tormented by guilt and anger, he planned to unite the players against the competition’s organisers and overthrow the world order that makes it possible to exist.
However, Gi-hun’s plan ended up being an utter failure.
Firstly, the players’ solidarity left much to be desired. Many were desperate enough to continue the game, even when they knew it could have ended in their deaths. Others, possessed by greed and believing in their luck, were willing to take risks, hoping that as many of their opponents as possible would die in the following rounds.
Moreover, the game’s organisers were well-prepared for Gi-hun’s appearance and used his actions to spice up the competition. Player 001, who befriended Gi-hun at the beginning of the season, was actually the Front Man, spying on the participants.
In the season’s final episodes, Gi-hun and his supporters overcame the guards. However, because of player 001’s betrayal, they failed to get into the control room. The Front Man killed Gi-hun’s almost entire team, including Gi-hun’s friend Park Jung-bae, and restored the game.
Netflix
At this point, it’s difficult to predict what might happen in season 3 of the Squid Game. Gi-hun, devastated by his friend’s death and the bloody end of the rebellion, will surely need some time to heal. Most likely, however, he will again take up arms against Front Man and the game’s organisers.
The only outside support Gi-hun can count on is the policeman, Hwang Jun-ho, and his team trying to find the island where the games are held. As it turned out, the group was betrayed by one of the members. Captain Park, who two years earlier, fished the shot Jun-ho out of the sea. He was most likely an agent of the game’s organisers, sent to sabotage Jun-ho’s investigation.
As series creator Hwang Dong-hyuk teases:
As for the storyline of the third season, Gi-hun having lost everything, including his best friend, and all of his attempts going to failure, it’s now: what is he going to be like?
What state is Gi-hun going to be in? And what will he choose to do? Will he continue on with the mission? Is he going to give up or persist? And so you’re going to meet our character Gi-hun at a very critical crossroads as we begin the third season. Gi-hun will not be the man he was in season 2.
If you saw the hidden clip after the ending credits roll after the last episode of season 2 – if you watch that clip, it’s going to give you a slight hint as to where season 3 might take you. I think that’s all I can say, for now.
If you missed the post-credits scene, you can see it below:
The clip foreshadows another game that the characters will have to play. In addition to a creepy girl doll equipped with motion detectors, the video features a second doll – a boy. It will surely make the games even more vicious and eliminate many players.
Fans of the series should also check out the reality competition spin-off, Squid Game: The Challenge season 2.
Will Squid Game return for season 4?
No. According to Netflix, the show will conclude with season 3.
Will there be a remake of Squid Game?
While it may sound strange and a bit unnecessary, yes – Netflix is developing an American version of the Korean survival thriller. The mind behind the series will be David Fincher, known for his passion for twisted, violent stories with characters entangled in bizarre intrigues. These include Se7en, Gone Girl and of course, The Game – a 1997 thriller in which a wealthy businessman portrayed by Michael Douglas takes part in a disturbing game that interferes with his daily life.
Fincher is expected to begin work on a Squid Game remake in 2025. For now, there’s no information on the series’ plot, cast or release date.
How to watch Squid Game
As you may have already guessed, Squid Game is a Netflix Original, so it’s only available on Netflix.
Plans start from $6.99/£4.99 per month for ad-supported viewing, and $9.99/£6.99 for ad-free viewing. You can sign up on Netflix and check out our guide to all the plans here.
