Squid Game Season 3 set for summer release following shocking cliffhanger
Netflix has officially announced that the highly anticipated third and final season of Squid Game will premiere on 27 June 2025. The news arrives just a month after the gripping conclusion of season two, which left fans reeling with its dramatic cliffhanger.
The South Korean thriller, which follows 456 desperate contestants competing in brutal, life-or-death games for a life-changing sum of money, has been a global sensation since its record-breaking debut in 2021. Following a three-year gap between the first two seasons, the final instalment has come around much sooner, thanks to Netflix’s decision to film seasons two and three back-to-back.
A faster return for fans
The extended wait between the first and second seasons left fans eager for more, but this time, Netflix ensured a much shorter turnaround. The second season, which dropped on 26 December 2024, saw the return of Player 456, Gi-hun (played by Lee Jung-jae), who re-entered the game in an attempt to bring it down from the inside.
However, the jaw-dropping finale left viewers with more questions than answers, as Gi-hun’s efforts appeared to be in vain. Showrunner and creator Hwang Dong-hyuk acknowledged the intense reactions to the conclusion, stating: “Of course, those watching would feel like, ‘Oh, no. What’s going to happen next? Give us the next episode right now.’ But I think that because, at that moment, Gi-hun loses everything, he fails all of his attempts [to stop the games], that is when he goes through yet another character transition. So I thought that was the best place to end the season.”
The creator’s reluctance to continue
Despite the show’s immense success, Hwang Dong-hyuk initially had no plans to extend Squid Game beyond its first season. In an interview with the BBC, he admitted that financial incentives played a role in his decision to proceed with additional seasons: “Even though the first series was such a huge global success, honestly I didn’t make much. So doing the second series will help compensate me for the success of the first one too.”
His hesitancy stemmed from concerns about the integrity of the story, but as he mapped out season two, he realised that the narrative had naturally extended beyond what could be contained within one season. Originally planned as an eight-to-nine-episode arc, the season ended up surpassing ten episodes, prompting a strategic division between seasons two and three.
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What to expect in the final season
With season two leaving fans on edge, the upcoming final season is expected to deliver a high-stakes, action-packed conclusion. Gi-hun’s determination to dismantle the sinister organisation behind the deadly games will likely form the crux of the final instalment.
Meanwhile, fresh alliances, shocking betrayals, and ruthless new games are set to take centre stage. Given the show’s history of intense storytelling, social commentary, and unpredictable twists, season three promises to be an unforgettable conclusion to the saga.
With the countdown now on for the 27 June release, fans around the world eagerly await to see how Squid Game will ultimately end. Will Gi-hun finally succeed in his mission, or is the game too deeply entrenched to be stopped? One thing is certain – audiences are in for an explosive finale.
