Squid Game Season 3: Premiere Date, Cast, Trailer, and Everything Else to Know

In the words of Thanos (R.I.P.): Welcome back, my friends! After Squid Game Season 2 launched in December 2024, we're relieved that the wait for Season 3 is much shorter compared to the period between the first two seasons. The Korean thriller series from Hwang Dong-hyuk is returning this summer, and Netflix is beginning to tease what audiences can expect. 

Just like its first season in 2021, Squid Game Season 2 set new records. In the 11 days following the premiere of the drama, Squid Game Season 2 gained 126.2 million views — which, according to Netflix, was the most that any of its shows has amassed in that amount of time, passing Wednesday's first season.

Season 2 followed Seong Gi-hun's (Lee Jung-jae) return to the games. But unlike the first season, he wasn't trying to win the ultimate prize of 4.56 billion won. Instead, Gi-hun was hell-bent on ending the games and taking down the orchestrator behind them — the Front Man (Lee Byung-hun). Only he had no idea that the Front Man, or Hwang In-ho, has gone undercover as Player 001 and was pretending to be a man named Young-il. Throughout the course of Squid Game Season 2, Young-il developed a close friendship with Gi-hun and the two even teamed up during two of the deadly games. But the facade didn't last very long. By the end of the season, as Gi-hun's revolt against those running the game was quelled, Young-il returned to being the Front Man and killed Gi-hun's dear friend. A lot is in store for us in Squid Game Season 3, since Gi-hun still does not know the true identity of the Front Man. 

Here's everything we know so far about Squid Game Season 3.

ALSO READ: Here are K-dramas featuring the stars of Squid Game Season 2

Squid Game Season 3 latest news

A new trailer for Squid Game Season 3 is here. On May 31, Netflix released the video that gave a more extensive look at different games coming up in the show's final portion. You can watch the trailer below. 

Squid Game Season 3 trailers and teasers

Netflix dropped the official trailer for Squid Game Season 3 at Tudum 2025: The Live Event on May 31. We also hear Gi-hun's desperation for this experience to come to an end. "Why did you keep me alive?" he cries out to the pink soldiers in the trailer. "Why did you let me live?" The video also teases a confrontation between the Front Man and Gi-hun. We hear the Front Man's voice saying, "Player 456, do you still have faith in people?" as he removes his mask. Gi-hun's reaction to the game master's true identity is definitely the most anticipated moment in this upcoming season. 

On May 5, Netflix unveiled the teaser trailer for Squid Game Season 3. The video begins with the pink soldiers (wait, how many survived the massacre from last season?!) carrying a coffin into the players' dorm. Truth be told, we were entirely expecting the box to reveal Gi-hun's bestie Jung-bae (Lee Seo-hwan) inside. His death was the major loss of the Season 2 ending, and it would majorly impact characters like Dae-ho (Kang Ha-neul) who had close relationships with him. But nope, the lid opened up to none other than Gi-hun, who's surely traumatized after his revolution against the Front Man was thwarted. 

The teaser trailer also shows parts of a new game in which players must dispense a ball — either red or blue — from a gumball machine. The first signs of impending heartbreak? Yong-sik (Yang Dong-geun) and his mother Geum-ja (Kang Ae-sim) drawing different colors. 

Squid Game Season 3 premiere date

On Jan. 30, Netflix announced that Squid Game Season 3 will premiere on June 27. The announcement was accompanied by the release of first-look photos.

The wait between seasons will be much shorter this time because Season 3 has already been filmed. "I wrote Seasons 2 and 3 back to back," Hwang had told The Hollywood Reporter in a January interview. "We filmed them back to back, and it's currently in post."

Squid Game Season 2 ending

Squid Game Season 2, Episode 7, titled "Friend or Foe," was chaotic, to say the least. In the finale, Gi-hun mobilized a group of players to fight against the pink soldiers with the goal of shutting down the games. In fact, most of the finale was a shootout between these players and the pink soldiers. And while the players were initially making progress and approaching the games' control room, the tides quickly turned. They ran out of ammunition, and Young-il, after murdering two of the players, faked his death to return to his original rank as the Front Man. The final shot of Squid Game Season 2 was the Front Man appearing before Gi-hun and shooting Park Jung-bae.

Hwang told TV Guide he knew this scene would be the last moment of Season 2. "I didn't have any other contenders for the ending, because the Front Man's purpose is to stop Gi-hun, whose purpose is to stop the game," he explained. "And that is a very critical moment where in their head-to-head showdown, the Front Man wins."

The director continued. "It's also a moment where the Front Man punishes Gi-hun for what he's done by killing his best friend," Hwang said. "So I thought that that would be the best moment to end the second season, especially because after experiencing that event, Gi-hun goes through yet another transition of character in Season 3."

ALSO READ: Squid Game director says it was 'near impossible' to cast a trans woman as Season 2 character

Squid Game Season 3 cast

Based on the teaser trailer released on May 5, we know a handful of the confirmed faces returning for Squid Game Season 3. They include:

• Lee Jung-jae as Gi-hun
• Lee Byung-hun as The Front Man
• Wi Ha-jun as Hwang Jun-ho
• Yim Si-wan as Myung-gi, Player 333
• Kang Ha-neul as Dae-ho, Player 388
• Park Sung-hoon as Hyun-ju, Player 120
• Yang Dong-geun as Yong-sik, Player 007
• Kang Ae-sim as Geum-ja, Player 149
• Jo Yu-ri as Jun-hee, Player 222
• Lee David as Min-su
• Roh Jae-won as Nam-gyu
• Park Gyu-young as No-eul

Where to watch Seasons 1 and 2 of Squid Game

The first two seasons of Squid Game are available to watch on Netflix.