Since its highly anticipated debut in the last week of December 2024, season two of Squid Game has dominated the Netflix charts. The Korean survival thriller achieved 126.2M views in just 11 days, becoming the second most-watched non-English title of all time, and lagging just a few million views behind the top dog — which is none other than Squid Game season one.
Per Deadline, the first two weeks following Squid Game’s second season release have been truly record-breaking. After a three-year hiatus from the explosive success of season one, the dystopian game show has finally returned with five more episodes, which earned a stunning 68 million views after just three days of Netflix availability. Right now, the total views sit at around 126.6M, making Squid Game season two the second most-watched non-English series of all time, as well as the fourth most-streamed series on Netflix.
Although Wednesday and Stranger Things currently claim second and third place, respectively, Squid Game still has another 79 days to earn 139 million additional views and upset these household favorites. That’s a relatively reasonable goal given the numbers so far. In the meantime, though, no other recent titles have come close to matching Squid Game’s success, at least on Netflix. The closest contender is airport action film Carry-On, which stands at 149.4 million views since release and occupies the fifth spot on the list of most popular English films.
Squid Game Season 2 Proves Itself as a Worthy Successor

Set three years after the initial installment, Squid Game season two follows the previous winner, Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae), as he decides to return to the games with the mission of dismantling them from the inside. Along the way, he must contend with another electic, desperation-fueled group of competitors, as well as the games’ mysterious leader, aka The Front Man.
As of this writing, Squid Game season 2 currently holds a solid 84% on Rotten Tomatoes, with most criticisms boiling down to the slow, sometimes exhausting pacing of the episodes. This is unsurprising feedback, however, given that season two was meant to be longer before the show’s sole writer, Hwang Dong-hyuck, decided to split it in half. As a result, audiences may not feel like the amount of suspense they’re experiencing on-screen has a satisfying resolution — not yet, at least.

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Do We Need ‘Squid Game’ Season 3 After THAT Season 2 Finale?

Given that insane cliffhanger, viewers certainly need some answers for Netflix’s ‘Squid Game.’

However, the decision to cut season two short means that the third and final season is already in the works, with the door left open for future projects in the Squid Game universe. Most importantly, fans likely won’t have to wait another three years for more Squid Game content, which is especially reassuring given the intense cliffhanger ending of season two.

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In Squid Game, a mysterious invitation to join a competition is sent to people at risk who are in dire need of money. Four hundred fifty-six participants from all walks of life are locked into a secret location where they play games to win 45.6 billion won. Games are selected from traditional Korean children’s games, such as Red Light and Green Light, but the consequence of losing is death. To survive, competitors must choose their alliances carefully – but the further they go in the competition, the more likely betrayal will rear its ugly head.

Release Date

September 17, 2021

Seasons

2

Showrunner

Hwang Dong-hyuk