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Squid Game is once again dominating headlines, this time with its highly anticipated third and final season. Even before its global premiere, the series has captured the public’s imagination, solidifying its place as one of the most iconic Korean dramas in streaming history. According to the second-week June OTT K-Original Content Viewer Evaluation Report by Consumer Insight, Squid Game 3 holds the top spot among upcoming series for the second week in a row. With an 85% awareness rate and 55% intent-to-watch score, it’s clear that excitement is building rapidly.
The momentum is visible across digital platforms as well. The official trailer, released on June 1, garnered over 10 million views within just two days. As of June 12, teaser views had surged past 19.18 million. Competing titles like I Am a Running Mate and Hunter with a Scalpel trail behind in public anticipation, cementing Squid Game 3 as the most talked-about unreleased series on Netflix.
In terms of plot, Season 3 picks up where the second season left off. Seong Gi Hun, played by Lee Jung Jae, has chosen to stay in Korea rather than escape to the United States. Burdened by guilt and a burning desire to dismantle the brutal organization behind the Game, Gi Hun’s rebellion in Season 2 ultimately ended in failure. Now, he finds himself at rock bottom, emotionally broken but still determined to fight back.
Director Hwang Dong Hyuk recently revealed that the upcoming season will focus on Gi Hun’s moral and psychological transformation. “Season 3 deals with Gi Hun, who’s fallen to rock bottom guilt-ridden over losing friends and failing to save people, then rises up again,” he shared. At the core of the final season lies a tense ideological face-off between Gi Hun and the enigmatic Front Man, portrayed by Lee Byung Hun.
The stakes have never been higher, and the upcoming games are designed to be more intense and symbolically rich than ever before. Among the deadly new challenges are a high-rope bridge suspended over a fatal drop, a nightmarish labyrinth version of ‘tag’ and ‘hide-and-seek,’ a grueling team-based jump rope test, and a glowing maze filled with deadly traps. Also making her debut is a new robot doll named Cheolsu, reportedly even more terrifying than Season 1’s Younghee.
Returning cast members include Lee Jung Jae, Lee Byung Hun, and Wi Ha Joon. They’ll be joined by a stellar lineup of new faces such as Im Siwan, Kang Ha Neul, Park Gyu Young, Park Sung Hoon, Yang Dong Geun, Kang Ae Sim, Jo Yu Ri, and Lee Jin Wook. Each episode in the six-part series will run approximately 50 minutes.
Squid Game 3 will be released worldwide on Netflix on June 27, 2025. With staggering pre-release stats and sky-high expectations, this final chapter is poised to not only wrap up a global phenomenon—but potentially become the most-watched final season in Netflix history.