Squid Game (Season 3)
“Squid Game Season 3” is the third season of the South Korean survival drama television series Squid Game, created and directed by Hwang Dong-hyuk. Released worldwide by Netflix on June 15, 2025, the season continues the dystopian saga of deadly games designed to exploit financially desperate individuals. Building on the events of Seasons 1 and 2, the third season follows Seong Gi-hun as he takes the battle to the heart of the organization that runs the games.
🗓️ Overview
| Title | Squid Game: Season 3 |
|---|---|
| Creator | Hwang Dong-hyuk |
| Director | Hwang Dong-hyuk |
| Country of origin | South Korea |
| Original language | Korean |
| Number of episodes | 8 |
| Release date | June 15, 2025 |
| Network | Netflix |
| Runtime | 55–70 minutes per episode |
| Genre | Survival, Thriller, Drama, Mystery, Psychological |
🔁 Background and Development
After the global success of Seasons 1 and 2, Netflix confirmed the third season in mid-2023. Filming began in February 2024 and concluded in late 2024. Hwang Dong-hyuk returned as the showrunner, with expanded international themes, a larger budget, and more complex set designs.
📜 Plot Summary
⚠️ Spoiler Alert: Full season plot follows
Season 3 picks up immediately after the events of Season 2, with Gi-hun abandoning his plans to flee and instead infiltrating the Squid Game network. The new season explores both the internal operations of the games and the external efforts to dismantle them.
Episode 1: "The Invitation Returns"
Gi-hun receives a cryptic phone call alluding to a new edition of the game. He discovers multiple global cells running similar games. Determined to stop them, he reenters the game facility as a staff member.
Episode 2: "Circle of Trust"
Gi-hun forms an alliance with a rogue former guard, Lee Sae-jin, and the presumed-dead Hwang Jun-ho, a police officer who was secretly investigating the games.
Episode 3: "The Reboot"
A new version of the game begins—but with a twist: former VIPs and elite participants are now the players, coerced into the game for their past crimes. This reversal highlights themes of power, punishment, and justice.
Episode 4: "Memory Maze"
Players face a game called “Echoes”, where they confront traumatic moments from their lives. The emotional stakes heighten as betrayals emerge among players.
Episode 5: "The Host’s Son"
It is revealed that Oh Cheol, son of the original Host (Oh Il-nam), is the heir to the game’s leadership. Cheol was thought dead but is alive, trained since childhood as the next Host.
Episode 6: "The Network"
Jun-ho and Gi-hun hack into the Squid Game servers to reveal the network of games globally. This leads to a mid-season twist, showing how deeply embedded the games are in politics, finance, and corporate control.
Episode 7: "No Freedom for the Winners"
The survivors learn that previous winners are never truly free—they are silently absorbed into elite control circles or eliminated. Gi-hun realizes he must destroy the system entirely.
Episode 8: "The Final Move"
Gi-hun confronts Cheol in a final psychological showdown inside the original game arena. In a tragic finale, Gi-hun sacrifices himself to destroy the system from within. Cheol is captured, and the Squid Game facility is publicly exposed.
👥 Cast and Characters
| Actor | Character | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Lee Jung-jae | Seong Gi-hun (#456) | The returning protagonist, now a rebel |
| Wi Ha-joon | Hwang Jun-ho | Police officer who faked his death |
| Ryu Jun-yeol | Oh Cheol | Il-nam’s son and the new Host |
| Han So-hee | Lee Sae-jin | Ex-guard who helps Gi-hun from inside |
| Gong Yoo | Recruiter | Reappears to reveal secrets of the VIP world |
| Park Hae-soo (archive footage) | Cho Sang-woo | Appears in hallucinations during “Echoes” game |
🎲 Games Featured in Season 3
| Game Name | Description | Episode |
|---|---|---|
| Crimson Steps | Psychological voting-based staircase game | Ep 3 |
| Echoes | Memory-based survival room | Ep 4 |
| The Chamber | Prisoner’s dilemma style punishment game | Ep 6 |
| The Final Squid | Enhanced version of the original squid game | Ep 8 |
Each game reflects modern anxieties—justice, guilt, corporate greed, and trauma.
🎥 Production
Filming Locations:
- Primary set built in Daejeon, South Korea
- Additional international locations include Taiwan, Iceland, and London to reflect the game's global expansion.
Visual Style:
- High contrast color grading: blue vs red themes
- Symbolism with glass, eyes, and staircases
- Soundtrack composed by Jung Jae-il, blending classical and digital horror
📈 Reception
| Source | Rating |
|---|---|
| IMDb | 9.2/10 |
| Rotten Tomatoes | 96% (Critics), 94% (Audience) |
| Metacritic | 91/100 |
Critics praised the bold narrative, emotional payoff, and expansion of lore, while some noted pacing issues in mid-season episodes.
🎭 Themes
- Power and Corruption
- Revenge and Redemption
- Cycle of Oppression
- False Freedom
- Global Capitalism
🧠 Trivia & Facts
- The numbers in “Crimson Steps” spell “1984” in binary—referencing Orwellian themes.
- Oh Il-nam’s final message in Season 1 contains an anagram hinting at Cheol.
- Global Squid Game theory confirmed: branches exist in over 14 countries.
📜 Conclusion
“Squid Game Season 3” is a powerful return to form, blending psychological drama, global conspiracy, and philosophical questions within the survival game framework. It ends with the destruction of the system, though small hints suggest the game may adapt rather than disappear.