Netflix’s Squid Game Season 2 continues to break barriers and redefine success in the world of streaming television. Premiering on December 26, 2024, Squid Game Season 2 has not only captivated fans worldwide but also made history by shattering a major Netflix record.
Here’s why Squid Game Season 2 is a Must-Watch:
Because It’s a Netflix Record-Breaking Global Success
The streaming giant confirmed that Squid Game Season 2 topped its most-viewed TV charts across 92 countries in its debut week. By December 31, just five days after its release, the seven-episode K-drama had amassed an astonishing 68 million views. This achievement secured its position as Netflix’s seventh-biggest non-English language show and the most-viewed series on the platform within its first week of release.
This feat demonstrates the staying power of the Squid Game franchise, which first took the world by storm in September 2021. While Season 1 benefited from its groundbreaking concept and element of surprise, the sophomore season managed to maintain momentum through its gripping storytelling and evolved narrative.
Squid Game Season 2’s Plot Hits Even Harder: Our In-depth Review
Spoiler Alert: The next section includes spoilers for Squid Game Season 2. If you haven’t watched it yet and want to stay spoiler-free, we recommend skipping ahead by clicking here—this will jump you further down the page.
After a groundbreaking debut in 2021, Squid Game returned for its highly anticipated second season, diving even deeper into the unsettling world of deadly children’s games with higher stakes, complex storytelling, and chilling moral dilemmas. Created by Hwang Dong-hyuk, the South Korean thriller’s return has not only captivated audiences worldwide but has also shattered Netflix records, proving its lasting cultural impact.
Picking up three years after the brutal events of the first season, the new instalment continues Seong Gi-hun’s (Lee Jung-jae) harrowing journey. Once a desperate participant struggling with crippling debt, Seong has now transformed into a determined force seeking justice. Abandoning his plans to travel to the US, he returns to Seoul, haunted by the horrors of the games and determined to take down the organisation behind them.
The new season introduces a web of parallel storylines, most notably the return of police officer Hwang Jun-ho (Wi Ha-joon). Once undercover within the games as one of the pink soldiers determined to uncover the truth behind his brother’s disappearance, he now finds himself transferred to the traffic department; however, his obsession with uncovering the truth persists. His path once again intertwines with Seong Gi-hun’s, leading to a tense alliance against the sinister forces at play.
From Season 1, we know that the games are designed so that the VIPs can watch. These wealthy VIPs pay to view the games and see them unfold, as we learned during the glass bridge game in the first season. Unfortunately, they were the only queer characters and played into damaging queer stereotypes that were both unnecessary and harmful, and we hope that they don’t make a reappearance in Season 3 or at least the stereotypes, themselves. The VIPs are still in play, though, as the money has to come from somewhere and we do see the Front Man (Lee Byung-hun) watching the first game on a screen.
The story continues as Seong finds himself back in the deadly games, once again crossing paths with Player 001. This time, the audience discovers that Player 001 is actually the Front Man, who has entered the competition himself—drawing parallels to Season 1’s Oh Il-nam, the original Player 001 portrayed by O Yeong-su. Throughout the season, Seong forms a bond with Player 001, unaware that he is being deceived by the Front Man, who uses the alias Oh Young-il. This twist lays the foundation for an emotional confrontation in Season 3 when Seong inevitably uncovers the truth.
What sets this season apart is the deeper dive into the structure of the games and the moral conflicts they provoke. The lineup of contestants feels more diverse and emotionally charged than ever, including a mother-son duo (Kang Ae-shim and Yang Dong-geun, respectively) trying to erase debt, a disgraced YouTuber (Im Si-wan) who lost people money after encouraging them to buy into a cryptocurrency, a transgender woman who was a former special forces soldier (Park Sung-hoon), a pregnant woman (Jo Yu-ri) who is connected to the disgraced YouTuber, and an unpredictable rapper named Thanos (Choi Seung-hyun) with a questionable past. Each character brings personal stakes, amplifying the emotional tension with every round.
Amid all the chaos, Seong is shocked to recognise another player from his past: his former best friend, Park Jung-bae (Lee Seo-hwan). They used to work together and even shared a passion for betting on horses, but lost contact after Seong entered the Squid Game. Their paths cross once again on the island where the deadly games unfold. In a surprising twist, Jung-bae, a former Marine, forms a bond with another ex-Marine, Kang Dae-ho (Kang Ha-neul), creating a unique bond. Additionally, The Recruiter (Gong Yoo) returns this season, with his character seeing significant development.
With Seong back on the island and his initial plan with Hwang Jun-ho falling through, Hwang resumes his original mission to locate the island. Leading a military team, they set off by boat, determined to track it down. This subplot keeps the audience on edge, questioning whether they will succeed in finding the island and what their next move will be if they do.
A key twist in this season is the introduction of a voting system after each game. Contestants can now choose to end the games and divide the prize money, though the lure of wealth consistently prevails over morality. This narrative shift brilliantly highlights the corrosive power of greed and how far people will go when backed into a corner, especially as Seong repeatedly pleads with the other contestants to vote to end the games—shifting the dynamic with each tense decision.
Visually, the season remains a spectacle of haunting set design and tension-filled sequences. The children’s games are even more elaborate, yet just as terrifying, with the stakes reaching unimaginable heights. However, it’s the emotional depth and evolving relationships between the characters that truly steal the spotlight, making the violence feel even more disturbing as bonds are tested and trust is shattered.
While some viewers might miss the raw shock factor of the debut season, this continuation brings a richer, more psychological experience. The pacing is slower, but it allows for stronger character arcs and world-building that deepen the show’s social commentary on class, greed, and the exploitation of the vulnerable.
Squid Game Season 2 not only meets the immense expectations set by its predecessor but also lays the groundwork for an epic conclusion in the upcoming third season. With a powerful blend of horror, drama, and biting social critique, it proves that the series is far from a one-hit wonder.
For Its Widespread Critical Acclaim
Though some questioned whether Season 2 could live up to the cultural phenomenon of the first season, critics and fans have largely responded positively. The show’s creator, Hwang Dong-hyuk, has once again crafted a story that resonates deeply, exploring themes of desperation, survival, and morality with powerful storytelling.
Because Season 3 Is Already Building Hype
Fans eager for more won’t have to endure another lengthy hiatus. Hwang Dong-hyuk recently hinted to Variety that the launch date for the highly anticipated third and final season could be announced soon. “I believe we will be announcing the launch date for Season 3 soon,” Hwang teased. “I probably expect that to launch around summer or fall next year.”
This timeline sets expectations for Squid Game Season 3 to premiere by late 2025, giving fans just enough time to process the shocking twists and emotional depth of Season 2. However, Netflix Korea may have accidentally revealed the launch date for Season 3 after they briefly dropped a video on their official YouTube channel promoting the season with the description disclosing the date, June 27, 2025. The video has since been taken down but fans were quick to notice and take screenshots, later posting them on social media.
As It’s a Standout Follow-Up to Season 1
As Squid Game continues to dominate Netflix’s charts and spark conversations worldwide, it’s clear that the series has cemented itself as one of the most significant cultural touchstones of modern television. With its record-breaking success and an impending third season, the franchise’s legacy is only set to grow. Netflix has already revealed that more series are planned to be set in this universe, and they have a proven track record of this, having dropped Squid Game: The Challenge, a reality television show which sees contestants take on the childhood games from the show in an attempt to win a cash prize—only, the eliminations don’t result in death, obviously.