Everything We Know So Far

Are you ready to play the game? In a new trailer for Squid Game season 2 (below), Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) is right back in the mix. He even has his old number! Season 1’s winner knows the secret of the game that the other contestants do not, however, and he’s determined to save their lives by joining the life-or-death contest once again. Bold strategy! Let’s see if it pays off.

Squid Game season 2 kicks off on December 26. According to Netflix, the second season picks up three years after Seong Gi-hun won the previous contest. “Player 456 gave up going to the States and comes back with a new resolution in his mind,” the streamer’s official description reads. “Gi-hun once again dives into the mysterious survival game, starting another life-or-death game with new participants gathered to win the prize of 45.6 billion won.”

Recruiter (Gong Yoo) is set to return as well, alongside the Frontman (Lee Byung-hun) and detective Hwang Jun-ho (Wi Ha-joon). “Just focus on getting out of this place,” Gi-hun tells the new contestants in the trailer. “I’ve played these games before!” For more about the future of the series (and the new killer 100-meter race in the teaser), read on.

Who Is Returning for Squid Game Season 2?

Considering that (spoiler) 455 people die in the first season, the roster of human stars is a bit bare for a second outing. Miraculously, Netflix revealed at a recent Tudum showcase that many of our favourite stars will be back. Lee Jung-jae, aka winner Seong Gi-hun, will return, entering the game once again. Some new players were announced, too, including former K-pop star Yim Si-wan, Kang Ha-neul (The Pirates: The Last Royal Treasure), Park Sung-hoon (Into the Ring), and Yang Dong-geun (Grand Prix).

Back in June 2022, creator Hwang Dong-hyuk confirmed to Vanity Fair that yes…there will be more games. “Humanity is going to be put to a test through those games once again,” he said. As he noted elsewhere in an AP interview, “There’s been so much pressure, so much demand, and so much love for a second season, so I almost feel like you leave us no choice….It’s in my head right now. I’m in the planning process currently.”

What Will Happen in Season 2?

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Hwang discussed how season 2 is going to be a natural evolution from the concluding events of the first run of episodes. The creator made it clear that for the new season, he isn’t tapping into fan theories or what viewers have asked to see from the series. Rather, he plans to pick up where it left off and carry the story on as it was originally intended. Here’s his quote, in full:

I’ve seen many reactions from people about the show, but I don’t want to make season 2 as a response to those reactions. The philosophies I put in season 1 all naturally extend to season 2. Instead of trying to meet the expectations of viewers, I just thought about the last moment when Gi-hun turned away from boarding the plane, and I thought about what he will do next. There will naturally be a flow of events that will lead all the way to the end of the season. I can’t share any details yet, but you know that Seong Gi-hun has become a totally new person by the end of season 1, so season 2 is going to be about what that new Gi-hun is going to do and how things will unfold with this new kind of character.

There is also the theory that the second season will go deeper into the backstory of the Frontman. In particular, the story would focus on his history as a police officer. As Hwang previously told The Sunday Times, “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 on 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. Maybe in season 2 I can talk about this more.”

In a separate interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Hwang teased that he has a few other ideas about what season 2 could look like. As he said:

I’d like to explore that storyline—what is going on between those two brothers? And then I could also go into the story of that recruiter in the suit who plays the game of ddakji with Gi-hun and gives him the card in the first episode. And, of course, we could go with Gi-hun’s story as he turns back, and explore more about how he’s going to navigate through his reckoning with the people who are designing the games.

So, in short, there are various interpretations that he could explore. As for the the star of the show, Lee Jung-jae? He hinted what’s in store for Gi-hun in an interview with US Esquire. Surprisingly, following his newly red-haired character’s decision to go after the creators of the Squid Game, he said we could see Gi-hun’s “humorous side” when the series returns.

“Because Gi-hun became more serious because he has to rescue these people, I’m thinking that he would become a more determined character,” said Lee. “But if he’s just too determined, that could be a little bit boring. So I’m guessing the fun parts of Gi-hun will also come out in the next season.”

Just Out of Curiosity, Which Game Do You Think You’d Be Best At?

So glad you asked. I would absolutely destroy my competitors at marbles, but I would likely die playing Red Light, Green Light, so the point is moot.

Keep checking back for more information on Squid Game season 2. This will be updated as additional details are released.