‘Squid Game’ Season 2 Is Officially a Go

Netflix has officially greenlit Squid Game Season 2. Since the Korean drama premiered in September of 2021 there have been a lot of whispers about its future as a franchise. Finally, Netflix committed to the next installment with a 10-second video clip and an announcement on Twitter last month.

“Red light… GREENLIGHT!” the post read. “Squid Game is officially coming back for Season 2!” This text accompanied a shirt video which showed an animation of the baby’s face used in the first game in Squid Game Season 1. A countdown flashed in the baby’s eyes while the minimalist shapes used throughout the series began to form across the bottom of the screen. Sadly, any more detailed information on the forthcoming sequel will have to come later.

This was followed by a new statement from series creator, writer and director Hwang Dong-hyuk. It read: “A whole new round is coming. It took 12 years to bring the first season of Squid Game to life last year. But it took 12 days for Squid Game to become the most popular Netflix series ever. As the writer, director and producer of Squid Game, a huge shout out to fans around the world. Thank you for watching and loving our show.”

“And now, Gi-hun returns,” he continued. “The Front Man returns. Season 2 is coming. The man in the suit with ddakji might be back. You’ll also be introduced to Young-hee’s boyfriend, Cheol-su. Join us once more for a whole new round.”

Hwang famously wrote Squid Game as a film back in 2009, but could not find financing to make the movie. The script made its way into the hands of a Netflix executive in 2018, but the streamer ordered it as a series, not a movie. Hwang struggled to write these scripts himself, so some of his earliest comments about a possible sequel were about how taxing such a project would be for him without help.

Hwang began answering interview questions about a second season more seriously around November of 2021. He told The Times that he wanted to focus more on the stories of the Front Man and the police, saying: “I think the issue with police officers is not just an issue in Korea. I see it on the global news that the police force can be very late in acting on things-there are more victims or a situation gets worse because of them not acting fast enough. This was an issue that I wanted to raise.”

Meanwhile, Netflix executive Ted Sarandos told investors in January of 2022 that a sequel was almost guaranteed. When asked if there would be a second season, he reportedly said: “Absolutely… the Squid Game universe has just begun.” Finally, in April Hwang told Variety that he was hard at work on another project, and that he believed Squid Game Season 2 would be out in 2024.

So far Netflix has not given any premiere date for the series, but the second season has been confirmed at last. Squid Game Season 1 is streaming now on Netflix.