Everything we know about Netflix’s Squid Game: The Challenge

A reality series based on Squid Game is coming soon

By Joe Allen November 14, 2023

Squid Game: The Challenge cast — Netflix

Following the shocking success of the first season of Squid Game, Netflix was naturally looking for ways to capitalize on the show’s immense popularity. In addition to giving the show a second season, the streamer also announced that it would be creating a reality competition series based on the rules of the show. The difference, of course, is that no one will die in Netflix’s version of the competition. Now, while we wait for Squid Game season 2, here’s everything we know about the real reality series based on a much more lethal, fictional competition.

Contents

What is Squid Game: The Challenge about?
What is the release date for Squid Game: The Challenge?
Is there a trailer for Squid Game: The Challenge?
Why is there controversy around the show?
Is this Squid Game season 2?

What is Squid Game: The Challenge about?

Squid Game: The Challenge is a reality competition series that features the largest cast and the largest cash prize in the history of reality TV. There are 456 contestants who will all be forced to compete for a cash prize worth $4.56 million. Here’s a snippet of Netflix’s official description of the show: “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. The stakes are high, but in this game the worst fate is going home empty-handed.”

Netflix’s vice president of unscripted and documentary series also weighed in, saying: “Squid Game took the world by storm with Director Hwang’s captivating story and iconic imagery. We’re grateful for his support as we turn the fictional world into reality in this massive competition and social experiment. Fans of the drama series are in for a fascinating and unpredictable journey as our 456 real-world contestants navigate the biggest competition series ever, full of tension and twists, with the biggest ever cash prize at the end.”

What is the release date for Squid Game: The Challenge?

Squid Game: The Challenge will make its premiere on November 22, 2023.

Squid Game: The Challenge | Official Trailer | Netflix

Is there a trailer for Squid Game: The Challenge?

The trailer for Squid Game: The Challenge was first released on October 23, 2023. In the trailer, we’re introduced to just a few of many contestants who will be competing in the tournament, and also get a look at the way Netflix has gone all out to carefully recreate the world of the show. In the original Squid Game, the contestants are forced to play twisted versions of children’s games, and it seems like this show will operate in a similar fashion.

Why is there controversy around the show?

Although Squid Game: The Challenge doesn’t have the same life-or-death stakes as the game on the original show, The Challenge has nonetheless received criticism because of the way it was filmed. Many contestants required immediate medical attention after they were left standing in the cold for hours without food. Some contestants also reported that they were forced to wake up for filming as early as 3:30 a.m. Reporting also suggests that shoots often went well beyond schedule, and that contestants were strictly prohibited from communicating with one another. The entire controversy was an ugly window into the realities behind reality TV spectacles.

Is this Squid Game season 2?

Squid Game: The Challenge is not the show’s second season. The reality series is inspired by the fictional show, but the Squid Game cast is not part of this production. We know that the show does have a second season coming, though, and the Squid Game season 2 release date is expected to be sometime in 2024.

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Joe Allen is a freelance culture writer based in upstate New York. His work has been published in The Washington Post, The…

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Donald Glover and Maya Erskine in Mr. and Mrs. Smith

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