Squid Game Season 3: Release Date, Recap, Trailer, Games, Plot, and Cast

“No matter how you look at it, life is just unfair,” true indeed. In two weeks, the Squid Game Season 3 will be available for streaming on Netflix. Being the final chapter, it is going to be intense, brutal, and dramatic. In season 3, we will see the down-on-his-luck protagonist Gi Hun (Lee Jung Jae) at his lowest, broken, and questioning his choices.

Squid Game Season 1 was a massive hit globally, raking in six Primetime Emmy awards and breaking records on Netflix. Season 2, however, didn’t quite live up to the hype for some viewers, who felt the storyline got a bit messy and the pacing dragged in some spots.

During a red carpet interview at TUDUM 2025, Lee Jung Jae and Lee Byung Hun revealed that they are satisfied with Squid Game Season 3 ending. Director Hwang Dong Hyuk also alleviated viewers’ concerns, saying

I think much of the disappointment people felt will likely be resolved when they watch Season 3.

The buzz around the series has only grown, with people searching nonstop for things like the Squid Game season 3 trailer and release date.

Squid Game Season 3 Release Date

One of the hottest questions on the internet is “When is ‘Squid Game’ Season 3 coming out.” Funnily enough, Netflix accidentally leaked the release date of the final season in the video description of the teaser in January. The clip was quickly deleted, and the streamer officially announced the release date later.

Netflix’s record-breaking Korean thriller, Squid Game, is set to conclude with its highly anticipated third season, premiering June 27, 2025.

The Story So Far: A Recap of Seasons 1 and 2

Squid Game first captivated audiences in 2021, becoming the most-watched non-English series on Netflix. It revolved around a group of players who participated in a brutal competition to chase the staggering prize money, 45.6 billion won.

Desperate, cash-strapped individuals compete in lethal children’s games, which cost them their lives. All of the players get killed except Gi Hun. Gi Hun, a debt-ridden gambler, won Season 1 but emerged traumatized.

In Season 2 (2024), he infiltrated the games again, aiming to dismantle them from within. His rebellion failed spectacularly when the masked Front Man (Lee Byung Hun), who had secretly participated as Player 001, betrayed him, killing his ally Jung Bae (Lee Seo Hwan) and crushing the uprising.

Squid Game Season 3 Trailer

The Squid Game Season 3 hints at an explosive finale when the season drops on June 27. The new trailer gives us a heartbreaking look at Gi Hun’s struggle. Viewers see him broken and full of guilt after everything that’s happened. Kang Ae Sim’s character tells him, “Bad people do bad things, but they blame others and go on to live in peace.”  

The Front Man, now with his mask off, challenges Gi Hun with the question: “Player 456, do you still believe in people?” Meanwhile, we get glimpses of terrifying new games, including that creepy doll from Season 1 and a deadly gumball challenge.  

It all builds to Gi Hun’s determined whisper: “I have to end this.” 

What to Expect From Squid Game 3

In a post-season 2 interview with Variety, Director Dong Hyuk hinted at new plot twists. 

You are going to meet our character Gi Hun at a very critical crossroads as we begin the third season. 

He also teased that the sense of huge guilt weighs heavily on him because of all of his failures and the loss of his dear friend. 

Gi Hun Prepares For Final Showdown

Season 3 opens with Gi Hun at his lowest point—imprisoned and broken after his failed rebellion against the Front Man. The death of his best friend, Jung Bae, weighs heavily on him, leaving him questioning whether he can continue his mission to dismantle the games. 

Creator Hwang Dong Hyuk describes Gi Hun as a man at a “critical crossroads.” He is battling despair while clinging to the hope that humanity can prevail even in the cruelest circumstances. The trailer shows him begging guards to kill him, questioning, ‘Why did you let me live?’. But it also hints at a potential comeback as he’s forced back into the games for one final showdown. 

The Front Man’s True Motives and Identity

Squid Game 3 will finally explain how Hwang In Ho became the Front Man. In Ho, who was Player 001 in Season 2, has complicated feelings for Gi Hun, including hatred and a grudging respect. According to director Hwang, the Front Man resents Gi Hun’s optimism but secretly envies his unwavering faith in people. 

Their face-off, hinted at in the trailer with the line, “Do you still have faith in people?”, will be crucial, possibly revealing if In Ho can change or if he’s beyond saving; the latter seems more likely.

Deadlier Games and Emotional Stakes

Squid Game new season escalates the brutality with fresh twists on childhood games. The games and challenges are deadlier than ever. A gumball machine challenge, where players draw colored balls to determine teams. It pits allies like mother-son duo Geum Ja, aka player 149 (Kang Ae Sim ), and Yong Sik, aka player 007 (Yang Dong Geun), against each other.

A jump rope game overseen by Young Hee and her “boyfriend” Cheol Su, the giant doll introduced in Season 2’s post-credits scene. In addition, the final installment introduces a maze game filled with traps, where players must navigate shifting walls and hidden dangers.  

The emotional stakes are higher than ever, particularly for Jun Hee aka Player 222 (Jo Yuri), whose pregnancy adds urgency to her survival. Geum Ja faces the unbearable choice of sacrificing herself or her son.

When talking to Entertainment Weekly, director Hwang said he purposely added intense games in the final season as the story reached its climax

I wanted very intense games to bring out the bottom parts of human nature. 

Hwang Jun Ho Continues His Search For Game Site

Detective Hwang Jun Ho (Wi Ha Joon) will intensify his investigation to locate the secret island where the deadly games take place. He is determined to expose the horrifying truth behind the operation. Jun Ho’s mission takes on new urgency as he follows fresh leads that could finally bring the entire operation to light.

Return of VIPs

Director Hwang Dong Hyuk confirmed to USA TODAY that the sadist VIPs, the rich onlookers who reveled in the deadly games and placed massive bets, will return in Season 3.

You will get to see the VIPs in the third season, they’re coming. Their chopper is flying over the island now.

Squid Game Season 3 Cast

Netflix has confirmed the Squid Game Season 3 cast, and fans can expect the following characters to return

• Gi Hun (Player 456) – Lee Jung Jae
• Front Man – Lee Byung Hun
• Hwang Jun Ho – Wi Ha Joon
• Myung Gi (Player 333) – Im Siwan
• Dae Ho (Player 388) – Kang Ha Neul
• Hyun Ju (Player 120) – Park Sung Hoon
• Yong Sik (Player 007) – Yang Dong Geun
• Geum Ja (Player 149) – Kang Ae Sim
• Jun Hee (Player 222) – Jo Yuri
• Min Su (Player 125) – Lee David
• Nam Gyu (Player 124) – Roh Jae Won
• No Eul – Park Gyu Young

Meanwhile, all Squid Game 3 episodes drop on Netflix on June 27, 2025. Prior seasons are available for binge-watching.