Squid Game season 2 is 'absolutely' happening, says Netflix – but when?

In a move that'll surprise absolutely no-one, Netflix has confirmed that Squid Game season 2 is "absolutely" happening.

Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos confirmed the news during a recent earnings interview, with Variety quoting him as saying "Absolutely. The 'Squid Game' universe has just begun."

We're still short on details, of course, but it's good to hear the news that Squid Game season 2 is on the way from Netflix itself. Previously, Squid Game creator Hwang Dong-hyuk had said there "will indeed be a second season," but it wasn't clear how far discussions with Netflix had gone – at other times saying he was "going to talk to Netflix" about his vision for a successive season.

Official backing from the CEO of Netflix, though, suggests things are starting to move ahead. The company would be foolhardy not to, given the immense success of the South Korean drama, which sees desperate, cash-strapped competitors compete in a series of deadly playground games to win a massive cash prize. 

Given that it's the biggest Netflix TV series of all time, it seemed like it was only a matter of time before Netflix officially renewed it for a follow-up season. Not only that, but Sarandos' use of the word "universe" suggests that potential spin-offs could be in the works, too. Oh Il-nam origins story, anyone?

When will we see Squid Game season 2?

So when could Squid Game season 2 grace our screens? 

While it took Hwang Dong-hyuk many years to get his concept off the ground, the sequel will no doubt be a little quicker to get made. That is, if his other projects could delay matters. Hwang previously revealed that "There’s a film I really want to make [and] I’m thinking about which to do first" (per The Guardian), so that could certainly affect the production schedule and push it further back.

Given the immense stress Hwang was under during the first season's production –  the showrunner losing several teeth in the process – we don't expect he'll be launching right back into the franchise. At this rate, we'd be surprised to see any more episodes, or even hear of a release date, before 2023 – with 2024 being the most likely launch window right now.

Of course, Netflix has a good reputation for expanding its favorite properties as much as possible. During the long wait before The Witcher season 2, for instance, we got an animated movie set in the same universe. 

So it's possible we could see a spin-off Squid Game anime launch, or something similar, in the meantime from a separate creative team. There's already talk of a Squid Game season 3, too, but let's get season 2 first, eh?

Squid Game's first nine episodes are streaming on Netflix now, and you can check out our Squid Game ending explainer for more on how the show wrapped up. 

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