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Lee Jung-jae as Seong Gi-hun in ‘Squid Game’ season 2
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Warning: Squid Game season 2 spoilers ahead!
Fans waited more than three years for Squid Game season 2 to premiere — but that won’t be the case for Squid Game season 3.
On Jan. 1, Netflix announced that the Korean thriller’s third installment would be released in 2025.
“I probably expect that to launch around summer or fall next year,” creator Hwang Dong-hyuk previously told Variety in December 2024.
Squid Game season 2, which was released on Dec. 26, ended with a major cliffhanger. In the seventh and final episode, Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) leads an uprising of the players, which results in the brutal murder of his best friend, Jung-bae (Lee Seo-hwan), at the hands of the Squid Game supervisor: Front Man (Lee Byung-hun).
Unbeknownst to Gi-hun, the Front Man is actually In-ho — a previous winner of the Squid Game who now works as the head guard and is posing as Player 001 and using the name Young-il.
“I thought that that was an adequate moment to put a stop and give [Gi-hun] a little bit of closure along [his] long story arc,” Hwang Dong-hyuk told Variety of the second season’s final moments. “In the third season, having that sense of huge guilt and sense of failure weighing heavily on him — how is Gi-hun going to carry on his mission? That’s the story that’ll further unfold.”
Here’s everything we know about Squid Game season 3 so far.
How did Squid Game season 2 end?
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Lee Jung-jae as Seong Gi-hun and Lee Seo-hwan as Jung-bae in ‘Squid Game’ season 2
Squid Game season 2 ended with a player rebellion.
Gi-hun, aka Player 456, led a small group of his fellow “X” team members (those who voted to end the game) on a mission to infiltrate the game’s control room and confront the Front Man. After ambushing a group of pink guards in the quarters, the rebels, armed with guns, made their way to the colorful stairwells.
They were met with heavy fire, but Gi-hun and Jung-bae, aka Player 390, pushed forward to the control room while In-ho/Young-il (Player 001); Na-yeon’s father (Player 246); Hyun-ju (Player 120); Dae-ho (Player 388) and several others stayed behind to hold off the masked men.
When Gi-hun and Jung-bae radio that they’re short on ammo and need backup, In-ho/Young-il — whose true identity is the Front Man — suggests he and two other men come to their aid. Player 001 ultimately double-crosses the players, killing both men before they can reach Gi-hun and Jung-bae.
Out of ammunition, Gi-hun and Jung-bae are forced to surrender. Seconds later they are confronted by the Front Man, who has traded his Player 001 green tracksuit for a menacing gray ensemble and a black mask.
“Did you have fun playing the hero? Now, witness the consequences of your little game,” the Front Man says to Gi-hun before killing his best friend, Jung-bae.
What will Squid Game season 3 be about?
Netflix
Front Man in ‘Squid Game’ season 2
An official synopsis for Squid Game season 3 has not been released, but Dong-hyuk told Variety that Gi-hun will be at a very “critical crossroads” in the third installment following his risky decision to launch a rebellion.
“Squid Game season 3 will bring brand-new games and even wilder character dynamics,” Jung-jae said in an interview with Netflix on Jan. 2. Kang Ae-sim, who plays Geum-ja (Player 149) added: “Season 3 will make you break into tears.”
Dong-hyuk also teased the return of the VIPs while speaking with USA Today.
“They’re coming. They’re on the way. Their chopper is flying over the island now,” he said of the wealthy spectators who enjoyed watching the players fight and die as they bet millions in season 1.
When will Squid Game season 3 premiere?
No Ju-han/Netflix
Jo Yu-ri as Kim Jun-hee, Yim Si-wan as Lee Myung-gi in ‘Squid Game’ season 2
Squid Game season 3 will premiere in 2025.
The exact date has yet to be announced, however, creator Dong-hyuk told Variety that he expects it may come in the summer or fall.
Is there a trailer for Squid Game season 3?
Netflix has not released an official trailer for Squid Game season 3. However, the streaming platform did share a 15-second teaser with fans on X in January 2025.
The brief clip revealed a new character: Chul-su — a boy counterpart to the terrifying killer doll Young-hee.
