Squid Game fans should watch this “thrilling” new Netflix competition series

A new South Korean competition series has just premiered on Netflix, and it’s well worth your time if you’re a fan of Squid Game and its reality spinoff, Squid Game: The Challenge. 

Although Squid Game Season 2 is well on its way, we’ve still got a few more months to wait for the new episodes (December 26, FYI).

But there are plenty of TV shows to keep us entertained until then, including The Influencer, a brand-new competition series in which 77 of Korea’s most popular influencers battle it out in a series of survival games to prove who’s got the most sway.

The first four episodes dropped on Netflix on August 6, introducing us to the full group of prominent social media figures. Joining the lineup is beauty YouTuber RISABAE and travel vlogger PaniBottle.

There’s also workout YouTuber Shim Euddeum, who took part in the streaming service’s popular survival series Physical: 100, as well as actor Jang Keun-suk and TikTokers Sia_jiwoo and KEJIMIN.

Each of The Influencer’s 77 contestants will take part in challenging obstacles, making it the ideal series to watch if you loved other K-survival shows such as Siren: Survive the Island, Zombieverse, and The Devil’s Plan.

And there are also some similarities to Squid Game: The Challenge, with the series even presenting its huge pool of contestants in the same format as the spinoff show. 

The Influencer has fans excited, with one taking to X/Twitter to write, “Sounds like a thrilling reality TV show! Who needs a crown when you can have the title of ‘Most Influential’? It’s like a modern-day Hunger Games, but with more selfies and fewer arrows.”

“So literally Squid Game,” quipped another, while a third joked, “Everything is Squid Game now?” And a fourth chimed in, “Check out The Influencer on Netflix,” adding that “it’s good” so far. 

Speaking about the development of the new reality show, creator Lee Jae-seok said, “I thought it would be interesting to gather influencers, divided by algorithms, in one place. 

“You’ll see the top influencers in Korea and experience unique entertainment through the large scale and visuals that only Netflix can deliver, along with never-before-seen social survival missions.”

It’s unknown how many episodes Season 1 consists of, although the Netflix listing currently states seven. We can expect the next chapter to drop within the week. 

Until then, check out 2024’s biggest reality show releases, as well as the new TV shows heading to streaming this month. You can also read about Squid Game: The Challenge Season 2 and Physical: 100 Season 3.