‘Squid Game’ Season 2 Promises a Dark Twist in the Tale

A runaway leader in terms of Netflix’s most-watched series ever, Korean dystopian thriller show Squid Game will make its return later this year.

Squid Game season 2 will arrive on the streamer on December 26, 2024, as Netflix looks to seize an opportunity created during the Christmas–New Year break. Writer and director Hwang Dong-hyuk returns as showrunner for the sophomore season, which will see some of the familiar faces reprise their roles and share the screen with the new introductions, as a part of a massive ensemble.

Lee Jung-jae as Seong Gi-hun (Player 456), Lee Byung-hun as the Front Man, Gong Yoo as the Recruiter, and Wi Ha-jun as Hwang Jun-ho are the actors that are back, and here’s a list of newcomers:

• Yim Si-wan
• Kang Ha-neul
• Park Gyu-young
• Park Sung-hoon
• Jo Yu-ri
• Yang Dong-geun
• Kang Ae-sim
• Lee David
• Lee Jin-uk
• Choi Seung-hyun
• Roh Jae-won
• Won Ji-an

The official synopsis suggests that Gi-hun, a.k.a. Player 456, will embark on his quest to find the creators of the dangerous game and confront them. At the end of season 1, Gi-hun had decided against visiting his daughter in the U.S. and instead stayed back to put an end to the vicious circus, and in season 2, he will be seen realizing his endeavor with the money he won. However, as he progresses down this dangerous path, he will have to come to grips with the fact that to end the game, he will have to reenter it.

Squid Game is based around the premise of financially troubled participants vying against each other to win a series of South Korean children’s games—but with deadly consequences. The winning prize is ₩45.6 billion, with each death contributing ₩100 million to the pot. The show explores themes of the evils of capitalism and class disparity while providing a general commentary on the current economic state of the world. Parallels can be drawn between Dong-hyuk’s show and Bong Joo-hoo’s 2019 classic Parasite, which revolved around similar subjects.

Dong-hyuk has confirmed there will be a third and final season of the show, as well, which is set for a 2025 release.