Credit: NetflixSquid Game is canceled at Netflix, according to series creator Hwang Dong-hyuk.
Netflix is the world’s most popular streaming service, far outperforming competitors like Disney+, Max (formerly HBO Max), Amazon Prime Video, and Paramount+.
Although the majority of those services are owned by companies with decades of film and television production behind them, Netflix has proven untouchable in recent years. Even as virtually all streamers are attempting to figure out how ad-supported viewing or password crackdowns can turn the new media profitable, Netflix has remained at the top of the hill.
Much of that has to do with Netflix’s original programming, which began in 2011 with the Kevin Spacey series House of Cards. Since then, the streamer has produced a number of globally famous shows, like Orange is the New Black, Bridgerton, The Queen’s Gambit, Stranger Things, and Wednesday.
The platform has had slightly less luck producing a feature film that achieves the same sense of cultural relevance, but the formula is there for TV series.
Related: Netflix Axes ‘Eleven’ from ‘Stranger Things’ Finale, New Role Introduced
Of all Netflix’s original TV series, Squid Game is by far the most popular. Compared to Wednesday’s 1,718,800,000 hours watched in a debut season, the Korean survival drama is currently clocked at 2,205,200,000 hours, wildly outpacing any English-language series. Since Squid Game season 1 began streaming in 2021 and became a global phenomenon, Netflix has been demanding more from Hwang Dong-hyuk, the creator and sole writer of the series.
Now, Netflix has officially announced a premiere date for Squid Game season 2, posting on social media: “The real game begins. Squid Game Season 2 is coming December 26. The Final Season coming 2025.”
The real game begins. Squid Game Season 2 is coming December 26.
The Final Season coming 2025. pic.twitter.com/Y3fQJ7LA2h
— Netflix (@netflix) July 31, 2024
Related: Official: Netflix Cancels U.S. Subscribers, Thousands Immediately Removed
While the announcement of season 2 arriving the day after Christmas is a welcome one, it turns out to double as a confirmation from executive producer, writer, and director Hwang Dong-hyuk that season 3 would conclude the massively popular show.
In a press release, Dong-hyuk said, “Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-Jae), who vowed revenge at the end of season one, returns and joins the game again. Will he succeed in getting his revenge? Front Man doesn’t seem to be an easy opponent this time, either. The fierce clash between their two worlds will continue into the series finale in season three, which will be brought to you next year.”
This means that Netflix will be losing both Squid Game and Stranger Things in 2025 (as long as the latter’s final season ever actually gets completed), a massive blow to the streaming service. Maybe this will finally be the year that other streamers get a chance.
Squid Game season 1 is currently streaming on Netflix. It stars Lee Jung-jae, Park Hae-soo, Wi Ha-joon, HoYeon Jung, O Yeong-su, Heo Sung-tae, Anupam Tripathi and Kim Joo-ryoung.