Squid Gameseason 3’s release date has been officially announced, secretly making it part 2 of season 2. AsSquid Gameseason 2’s record-breaking viewershipand critical acclaim suggest, it has continued its predecessor’s momentum and further reinstated its legacy as one of the most viral television shows of all time. Even with its third and final installment, the series is not expected to slow down, given howSquid Gameseason 2’s shocking endingperfectly paves the way for a gripping finale.
WhileSquid Gameseason 3was always on the cards, Netflix had only confirmed that it was scheduled to be released in 2025 on an unknown date. Fortunately, season 3’s release date has finally been confirmed, which is surprising because it almost qualifies it as the second part of season 2. Although the show’s third installment is being marketed as a third season, it would have made sense if Netflix had touted it as an extension of season 2.
Squid Game Season 3 Is Narratively More Like “Season 2, Part 2” Than A Whole New Season
It Does Not Exactly Mark The Beginning Of A New Arc For Gi-hun
AlthoughSquid Gameseason 1 featured a cliffhanger in its final moments, where Gi-hun decided to wage war against the game’s creators, it ended on a fairly well-rounded note. By walking through Gi-hun’s entire journey in the games and highlighting how he earns a massive sum but loses everything else along the way,Squid Gameseason 1 did a commendable job closing one whole arc in the main character’s story. Most ofSquid Gameseason 1’s main charactersalso died towards the end, which gave the season a sense of finality, reinforcing the brutal nature of the titular games.
What Happened To Gi-Hun After Squid Game Season 2’s Abrupt Ending
Netflix’s Squid Game season 2 ends with an abrupt cliffhanger, but a first-look photo of season 3 confirms Gi-hun’s fate after his failed plan.
Squid Gameseason 2, however, took a significantly different approach. Many of its main characters are still alive and will show up in season 3. Even Gi-hun’s story ends abruptly in season 2’s final moments, where he fails to stop the games and even loses his friend, Jung-bae. SinceSquid Gameseason 3 will begin exactly where season 2 ends and will likely continue the games, it narratively comes off as a part 2 ofSquid Gameseason 2 rather than a fresh season.
Squid Game Season 3’s Release Date Is Further Proof That It’s Basically Season 2’s Second Part
There Is Only A Six-Month Gap Between Seasons 2 & 3
As anofficial image from Squid Game season 3 confirms,it is scheduled to be released on June 08, 2025. This hardly leaves a six-month gap between seasons 2 and 3, which is significantly less compared to the three-year interval between seasons 1 and 2. The long wait forSquid Gameseason 2 after season 1’s end in 2021 made it easy to believe that season 2 was marking the inception of a whole new story in the show’s overarching narrative. It gave audiences enough time to process the events of season 1 and endlessly speculate how the next arc would unfold.
Squid Gameseason 2 also has only seven episodes, which again makes it look like the first part of a larger, multi-layered narrative.
With only six months between seasons 2 and 3, the third installment is hitting the ground running, diving right into all the unresolved story beats from its predecessor. The rapid turnaround proves it serves more as season 2’s second part than a full-fledged season 3.Squid Gameseason 2 also has only seven episodes, which again makes it look like the first part of a larger, multi-layered narrative. This raises many questions about why Netflix decided to call it season 3 instead of promoting it as an extension of season 2.
Squid Game Season 3 Signals A Potential Netflix Strategy Change
The Streamer Might Take A Similar Approach With Other Shows
The final seasons of many Netflix shows, likeCobra Kai, have often been split into multiple installments, gradually released over one or two years. Owing to this, it is surprising that, despite releasingSquid Gameseason 3 six months after season 2, the streamer is not calling it season 2’s part 2. This change in strategy suggests Netflix is evolving its approach. While the exact reason behind this is unknown, it seems likely thatNetflix is doing this to raise more excitement surroundingSquid Gameseason 3.
89%
73%
Budget
US $21.4 million in season 1 and ₩100 billion in season 2
Streaming On
Netflix
After season 2’s ending, viewers would still have been hyped for the next installment if it was labeled as season 2’s part 2. However, the “season 3” tag promises that the show’s final installment will etch its own identity by following a more independent narrative path instead of merely riffing on the storyline set up by season 2. Since a one-year gap is usually expected between two subsequent seasons of a show, toutingSquid Game’s upcoming installment as season 3 also helps reduce the perception of time passed since season 2’s release.
Squid Game
Squid Game is a South Korean series released in 2021 that follows numerous financially struggling participants who are invited to partake in children’s games with deadly outcomes. As they compete, they vie for a substantial cash prize, all while navigating lethal challenges orchestrated by mysterious figures.
