"Squid Game: The Challenge" Renewed for Season 2

Netflix renewed Wednesday morning the reality show  “Squid Game: The Challenge” for season 2, ahead of the Season 1 finale.

After nine episodes of nail-biting games, forged and broken alliances and shocking betrayals, only three contestants remain after 453 have been eliminated: Mai Whelan, who is Player 287; Phil Cain, Player 451; and Sam Lantz, Player 016.

Mai, number 287, took home the top prize of $4.56 million during the finale episode after playing a high-stakes game of “rock paper scissors.” The 55-year-old Virginia native played against runner-up Phill Cain, a scuba instructor from Hawaii.

“There was no red light in our decision to greenlight Season 2 of ‘Squid Game: The Challenge,’ the most ambitious unscripted show we’ve premiered at Netflix,” said Brandon Riegg, Netflix VP of Nonfiction Series, in a statement.

“We’re so excited to continue the franchise of ‘Squid Game’ with our team in Korea, and producers at Studio Lambert and The Garden for this epic competition series.”

The show is based on the streamer’s Korean-language hit “Squid Game”, which holds the record for Netflix’s most popular show of all time, with 1.65 billion view hours in the first 28 days after its September 2021 premiere. It’s been renewed for Season 2 with creator Hwang Dong-hyuk.

Of course, in this game, people’s lives aren’t actually on the line — but they still get fake “shot” during a game of “Squid Game’s” most iconic activity, Red Light, Green Light, and go tumbling to their “death” off a bridge in a later challenge, including being fake-killed.

It debuted on November 22 on Netflix and saw 6, 456 people competing for the $4.56 million prize being offered.

Per Netflix’s logline for the competition, “456 real players will enter the competition show in pursuit of a life-changing reward of USD $4.56 million.

As they compete through a series of games inspired by the original show – plus surprising new additions – their strategies, alliances, and character will be put to the test while competitors are eliminated around them.

Season one of the show was No. 1 on Netflix’s list of Top 10 English-language shows for the past two weeks. It had 20.5 million views in its first week and 11.4 million in its second.

“Squid Game: The Challenge” is a co-production between Studio Lambert (“The Circle”) and The Garden (“24 Hours in A&E”), part of ITV Studios.

Executive producers include Nicola Brown (The Garden), Tim Harcourt (Studio Lambert), John Hay (The Garden), Toni Ireland (Studio Lambert), Anna Kidd, Stephen Lambert (Studio Lambert), Louise Peet, Nia Yemoh (Studio Lambert) and Stephen Yemoh (Studio Lambert).

Casting for Season 2 of “Squid Game: The Challenge” is now open at SquidGameCasting.com.