Few shows have gripped the planet like Squid Game. Hwang Dong-hyuk's Korean survival drama ran for three record-breaking seasons from 2021 to 2025, and the games live on as Squid Game: The Challenge lines up a celebrity third run.
From a script nobody wanted to an Emmy-winning hit, here is the story. Browse more of our favourite shows in the TV Series collection.
Squid Game Fact File
| Aired | 17 September 2021 - 27 June 2025 |
|---|---|
| Created by | Hwang Dong-hyuk (writer and director of every episode) |
| Network/Studio | Netflix / Siren Pictures |
| Main cast | Lee Jung-jae, Lee Byung-hun, Wi Ha-joon, Park Hae-soo, Jung Ho-yeon, O Yeong-su |
| Seasons/episodes | 3 seasons, 22 episodes |
| Setting | Seoul and a secret island arena, with a 45.6 billion won prize |
| Signature item | Player 456's green tracksuit and the pink guards' masks |
Seasons
| Season | Year | Episodes/Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2021 | 9 episodes - No. 1 in 94 countries, 1.65 billion hours in 28 days |
| 2 | 2024 | 7 episodes - most views for a show in its premiere week |
| 3 | 2025 | 6 episodes - 60.1 million views in three days, No. 1 in all 93 Top 10 countries |
Figures are Netflix's published numbers. Season 1 was measured in hours viewed, later seasons in "views" (hours divided by runtime), so they are not directly comparable.
A Script Nobody Wanted
Hwang Dong-hyuk, born in Seoul in 1971, studied at Seoul National University and USC before directing films such as Silenced (2011) and Miss Granny (2014). Around 2008, struggling with debt, he read Japanese survival manga and wondered whether people would risk everything in a deadly game for money. He wrote the script in 2009, but producers found it too strange until Netflix announced the project in September 2019.
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The 2021 Phenomenon
Season 1 arrived on 17 September 2021 and became the first Korean drama to top Netflix's global weekly TV chart. Lee Jung-jae starred as Seong Gi-hun, a gambler who joins 455 other debt-ridden players for childhood games with lethal stakes. More than 142 million households watched in 28 days, and dalgona sweets and Red Light, Green Light went viral overnight.
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Back in the Arena: Seasons 2 and 3
Gi-hun returned on 26 December 2024, determined to bring the games down from the inside, facing Lee Byung-hun's Front Man alongside newcomers such as Yim Si-wan and Kang Ha-neul. The final chapter followed on 27 June 2025, setting a three-day record of 60.1 million views, and closed with a surprise cameo from Cate Blanchett as a recruiter in Los Angeles.
Wear the final round with our Squid Game TV Icon Frame Men's T-Shirt.
The Games Continue
Squid Game: The Challenge, a UK-filmed reality competition with 456 players chasing a $4.56 million prize, launched in November 2023 and returned in November 2025. In March 2026 Netflix revealed celebrity players for a third run, Squid Game: The VIP Challenge, with no date yet. Netflix never formally announced an American drama, and in August 2026 trade reports said a David Fincher-linked spin-off was no longer moving forward.
Awards
Primetime Emmys (2022)
- Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series - Lee Jung-jae, the first Asian actor to win the category
- Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series - Hwang Dong-hyuk
- Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series - Lee Yoo-mi
- Three craft wins: special visual effects, stunt performance and production design (six wins from 14 nominations)
Golden Globes
- 2022: Best Supporting Actor (Television) - O Yeong-su, the first Korean actor to win a Golden Globe
- 2025: nominated for Best Television Series - Drama (season 2)
Screen Actors Guild Awards (2022)
- Wins for Lee Jung-jae and Jung Ho-yeon - the first non-English-language series to win at the SAG Awards
Behind the Scenes
Season 1 cost a reported $21.4 million, while seasons 2 and 3 were made together for around 100 billion won. Season 1 city scenes were shot in Daejeon, with island scenes on Seongapdo in Ongjin County.
FAQs
How many seasons of Squid Game are there?
Three seasons and 22 episodes: 9 in 2021, 7 in 2024 and 6 in 2025, when the story concluded.
Who created Squid Game?
Hwang Dong-hyuk created the series and wrote and directed every episode. He first wrote the script in 2009.
Where was Squid Game filmed?
In South Korea, including Daejeon and Seongapdo island in Ongjin County.
Did Lee Jung-jae win an Emmy for Squid Game?
Yes. In 2022 he became the first Asian actor to win Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series.
Is there an American Squid Game?
Not as a drama. Netflix never officially announced one, and August 2026 trade reports said a David Fincher-linked project was no longer going ahead.
Shop the Squid Game Collection
Our Squid Game pieces are fan-made tribute designs, each printed to order in the UK for players who never forgot their number.
Squid Game Men's Hoodie
£39.99
Find more fan favourites in our TV Series collection, or put your own player number on a Custom Name Men's Hoodie.
Part of our Icon Profiles series. Read next: The Last of Us: Seasons, Cast, Emmys and Season 3 News and Game of Thrones: Seasons, Cast, Emmys and the Spin-offs.
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