Squid Game season two: Release date and cast as new trailer released for Netflix series

After a three-year hiatus, the record-breaking show is set to take over screens once more in December

Lee Jung-jae will return as the lead character Seong Gi-hun in Squid Game. Photo: Netflix

It was the surprise South Korean hit that became Netflix’s most-watched show and fans have spent nearly three years eagerly awaiting the return of Squid Game. Now, the wait is almost over.

A second trailer for the show's return was released on Friday. The one-minute teaser opens with protagonist Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) waking from a troubled sleep, quickly grabbing a gun and aiming it at a masked figure standing outside his door.

It then escalates to show more menacing masked figures – wearing familiar pink onesies – marching with guns, while Gi-hun once again returns to the game as Player 456. An unseen voice declares: “We’re ready to start the game,” in Korean over the teaser.

It follows a trailer last month that revealed the release date for the second season as well as announced the streaming platform’s renewal for a third and final instalment. Series creator and director Hwang Dong-hyuk also posted a letter to fans about the show.

“I am thrilled to see the seed that was planted in creating a new Squid Game grow and bear fruit through the end of this story," he wrote. "We’ll do our best to make sure we bring you yet another thrill ride. I hope you’re excited for what’s to come."

So, after the long wait, here’s everything to know (and remember) about the show.

When will Squid Game season two be released?

Squid Game's second season will have its premiere on December 26, Netflix announced in a teaser trailer. The clip, which is just under a minute, has been viewed more than 1.5 million times in 11 hours, as of publication.

Does Squid Game season three have a release date?

The show will end after season three. Luckily, there won’t be as long of a delay, as it is expected to air sometime next year.

What will season two be about?

This is the official description from Netflix: “Three years after winning Squid Game, Player 456 remains determined to find the people behind the game and put an end to their vicious sport. Using this fortune to fund his search, Gi-hun starts with the most obvious of places: look for the man in a sharp suit playing ddakji in the subway.

"But when his efforts finally yield results, the path toward taking down the organisation proves to be deadlier than he imagined: to end the game, he needs to re-enter it.”

Who is in the cast of the second season?

Park Gyu-young in season two of Squid Game. Juhan Noh / Netflix

Those who binge-watched the show's first season know that most of the characters introduced throughout the nine episodes died. As a result, many familiar faces are unlikely to appear, except perhaps in flashbacks.

The surviving cast set to return include Lee's protagonist Seong Gi-hun, Lee Byung-hun as the Front Man, Wi Ha-joon as police officer Hwang Jun-ho and Gong Yoo as the mysterious salesman.

There are also new players set to appear in the game played by a host of new actors, including Yim Si-wan, Kang Ha-neul and Park Gyu-young.

However, little detail has been revealed about the characters they will play.

What is Squid Game about and why is it so popular?

The first season of the show aired in September 2021 and became a global phenomenon. It became Netflix's top-ranked show in 94 countries, with more than 142 million households tuning in and 1.65 billion viewing hours racked up during its first four weeks, becoming the streaming platform’s most-watched show in history.

The premise of Squid Game follows 456 debt-ridden and desperate people who play classic Korean children’s games in the hope of winning a cash prize – however, the losers are executed at the end of each game. The first season followed a group of people with Lee’s Gi-hun ultimately the winner of 45.6 billion South Korean won ($38.5 million) after becoming the sole survivor of the violent competition.

After its initial broadcast on Netflix, the show also had its moment in pop culture. It spawned countless memes, YouTube star Mr Beast built some of its levels in real life and its player uniforms became the top searched Halloween outfit in 2021. Abu Dhabi's Korean Cultural Centre also hosted an event allowing fans to enjoy the games from the show to promote Korean culture.

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  Mohamed as The Front Man, left, with a guard during the Squid Game event at the Korean Cultural Centre at twofour54 in Abu Dhabi. All Photos: Victor Besa / The National

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  The Squid Game event was held only over one day and featured 15 participants competing against one another in two sessions at the Korean Cultural Centre

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  Players who did not successfully complete the challenge get 'shot' with soft sponge toy guns to signal their elimination

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  In the dalgona game, players tried to cut out a preset shape in the honeycomb toffee without breaking it

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  Players were required to sign a paper agreeing to the rules before beginning the games – just like in the show

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  The guards kept their eyes on everyone

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  The honeycomb toffee game, also known as the dalgona game, has become a viral trend on its own

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  A Squid Game guard holds up the South Korean and UAE flags at the Korean Cultural Centre

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  The Korean Cultural Centre presented players with the same card as seen on the hit show

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  Tin boxes with snacks were distributed to players after the Squid Game event

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  Players begin playing green light, red light at the Korean Cultural Centre

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  Two players face off to play Ttakji during the Squid Game event at the Korean Cultural Centre

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  Two other players compete in a marble game to see who can get their marble closest to the circle

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  Nam Chan-woo, director of the Korean Cultural Centre, before the start of the Squid Game event

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  Players get ready to play green light, red liight

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  Those who were eliminated had to put on skull stickers over the numbers on their shirt

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  The Korean Cultural Centre's version of glass stepping stones mean that players had to guess the right combination of numbers to cross over

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  The guards for the Squid Game event at the Korean Cultural Centre

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  A player takes a photo ahead of the event at the Korean Cultural Centre

How did season one of Squid Game end?

Gi-hun, a debt-ridden single father, uses half his winnings to fulfil the final wishes of Sae-byeok and Sang-woo, the two contestants he defeated for the prize.

Gi-hun later learns that his daughter, along with his ex-wife and her new husband, emigrated to the US while he was away. On his way to the airport, he encounters the salesman who initially recruited him for the Squid Game. Although the salesman gets away, Gi-hun snatches the card from the prospective player and warns him to not call the number.

As he is about to board his flight, Gi-hun makes a call to the number on the card. The voice on the other end asks for the same information as before. This time, Gi-hun angrily responds, prompting the Front Man to intercept the call and tell him to board his flight. Instead, he turns around and walks away from the aeroplane, hinting that the game isn’t over.