Ready to get back in the game? The international hit Netflix series Squid Game returns for season 2 on Thursday, December 26.
The Emmy award-winning Korean thriller series has become a cultural phenomenon and was one of Netflix’s most-watched shows when it premiered in 2021. Three years later, it’s finally time to head back as player 456, Seong Gi-hun, tries to stop the sinister and deadly games once and for all. Check out the season 2 trailer below.
This watch guide will provide you with everything you need to know about what happened in season 1, the season 2 cast and how to watch with DIRECTV.
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‘Squid Game’ Season 2 Release Date
Smile for the camera. Squid Game season 2 will be available to stream on Netflix on Thursday, December 26, 2024.
How to Watch ‘Squid Game’
You can watch Squid Game season 2 starting December 26 on Netflix with DIRECTV by connecting your Gemini device. Watch (or rewatch) season 1 now to prepare for the new season.
Looking for more hit shows to watch while you wait for season 2 to come out? Check out our article on the 20 Most Binge-Worthy TV Shows to Watch Right Now.
How Many Episodes Will ‘Squid Game’ Season 2 Have?
Season 2 of Squid Game will have seven episodes, two less than season 1.
What Happened in ‘Squid Game’ Season 1?
Caution: Spoilers Ahead!
Squid Game centers on Seong Gi-hun, a down-on-his-luck, divorced father and gambling addict who lives with his mother. He’s approached by a recruiter to play a game of ddakji and tell Gi-hun that if he wins, he’ll receive 100,000 wan. He quickly loses and is unable to pay, but the recruiter tells Gi-hun he can use his body as payment and slaps him in the face every time he loses. After many losses (and slaps), Gi-hun finally wins the money. The recruiter tells him there are other games like this where he can make even more money and gives him a card to call if he’s interested. Desperate to pay off his debts and take custody of his daughter, he calls the number on the card. Gi-hun is sedated and taken to an undisclosed location, and when he wakes up, Gi-hun finds himself in a green jumpsuit with the number 456 on it.
The masked guards tell the players they will play six different games in six days for a chance to win a life-changing amount of money. They learn that they are all living on the brink of financial ruin and were all recruited the same way. The 456 players sign waivers and smile for the camera to have their picture taken.
The first game they play is “Red Light, Green Light.” The rules are simple: When the creepy doll at the end of the field says “green light,” the contestants can advance toward the finish line, but if they move after the doll says “red light,” they’re eliminated. The innocent-looking childhood game quickly turns into a nightmare as the players learn that elimination means death. Many of the players panic and are gunned down on the field. Gi-hun narrowly escapes death with only seconds to spare.
Only 201 players are left standing after the first game. While the contract they signed prevents them from being able to leave, they do have an out. The contract says that if a majority of players decide to end the games, they can return to their normal lives. They take a vote to leave but quickly learn the real world is just as brutal as the games. Desperate for the money, 187 players come back. The players begin to make alliances as they continue to play the games, ranging from tug-of-war to marbles to glass stepping stones.
In the final episode, only two players remain — Seong Gi-hun and his childhood friend, Cho Sang-woo. The last game they need to play is called Squid Game. It quickly turns into a knife fight, with Gi-hun gaining the upper hand. But when the moment comes, Gi-hun can’t kill his friend and offers to end the game with neither of them getting the money. But Sang-woo is severely injured and ultimately kills himself. Gi-hun comes home only to find that his mother died while he was competing in the games. Gi-hun learns that the games were designed by a group of wealthy elites for their entertainment and that player 001 was the mastermind of the tournament. The season ends with Gi-hun preparing to join his daughter in the United States, but when he sees the recruiter tempting another man into the games, he makes it his mission to stop the killing once and for all.
What will ‘Squid Game’ Season 2 Be About?
Squid Game season 2 is set three years after the events of the first season. Gi-hun is suiting up in his green jumpsuit once again to get to the bottom of the mysteries surrounding the games in order to put a stop to them. He’ll have to use what he learned from the first games as he and a new group of players play to stay alive. Viewers will get to see a mix of games from the first season, along with some new ones.
Who is in the ‘Squid Game’ Season 2 Cast?
There will be many new faces in Squid Game season 2 since most of the original characters were killed in season 1. Check out some of the returning cast and new players you can expect to see in season 2.
- Lee Jung-jae as Seong Gi-Hun, Player 456
- Lee Byung-Hun as Front Man
- Wi Ha-joon as Hwang Jun-ho
- Gong Yoo as Recruiter
- Yim Si-wan as Myung-gi, Player 333
- Kang Ha-neul as Dae-ho, Player 388
- Lee Jin-uk as Gyeong-seok, Player 246
- Park Sung-hoon as Hyun-ju, Player 120
- Yang Dong-geun as Yong-sik, Player 007
- Kang Ae-sim as Geum-ja, Player 149
- Lee Seo-hwan as Jung-bae, Player 390
- Jo Yu-ri as Jun-hee, Player 222
- Won Ji-an as Se-mi, Player 380
Will There Be a ‘Squid Game’ Season 3?
Yes! Netflix has announced that Squid Game will return for a final season in 2025.
Watch ‘Squid Game’ on DIRECTV
Squid Game season 2 premieres on Netflix on Thursday, December 26. Watch Squid Game and all your favorite TV shows, movies and sports with DIRECTV. Your Gemini device makes it easy to access thousands of streaming apps like Netflix, Max™, Prime Video and more. Find out how to connect your Gemini device to your third-party apps.
And if you aren’t a DIRECTV customer yet, make the switch today!
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I watch ‘Squid Game’ season 2?
You can watch Squid Game on Netflix with DIRECTV.
When does ‘Squid Game’ season 2 come out?
Squid Game season 2 comes out on Netflix on Thursday, December 26.
Is Squid Game a real game?
Yes, the Squid Game is a real-life game that many Korean children played in the ‘70s and ‘80s. The field is shaped like a squid, and kids are split into two teams: offense and defense. The offense players can hop along the side of the squid only using one foot, while the defense players defend the middle. The players on the offensive team win if they can make it to the tip of the squid without being pushed or pulled off the lines.
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