There’s a simple reason Squid Game Season 2 is so short

Squid Game Season 2 is only seven episodes long. Understandably, some viewers have been left frustrated after binging the whole thing in one day, but there’s a good reason it’s so short.

The new series follows Gi-hun as he returns to the games, determined to find the Front Man and stop the competition for good. Meanwhile, Hwang Jun-ho sails the high seas in search of the island and his mask-wearing brother.

Squid Game was an unexpected phenomenon when it launched on Netflix, and amazingly, Season 2 may even better than the first season (read our five-star review if you’re not convinced).

However, be warned: Squid Game Season 2 ends on a massive cliffhanger after just seven episodes. Like me, you’ll probably scream at your TV when the credits roll – but don’t worry, the show will return soon.

Why Squid Game Season 2 only has 7 episodes

Netflix

Squid Game Season 2 has seven episodes because it was filmed simultaneously with Season 3. Think of it more like Part 1, before Part 2 brings the series to a close next year.

According to Hwang Dong-hyuk, the seventh episode (which will drop your jaw) felt like a natural point to give the audience a breather, similar to The Walking Dead’s mid-season finales.

Speaking to Deadline, Hwang explained: “I wrote Seasons 2 and 3 at the same time, and we were in production for both simultaneously, and currently we are in the post-production process for Season 3.

“When I was writing the script for the two seasons, I felt like there was a big turning point or an inflection point, and that was the end of Episode 7, so I thought that it would do it justice to have a separate season after that. That’s why I had the first seven episodes as Season 2 and then the rest of Season 3.”

Here’s the good news: Squid Game Season 3 is confirmed to arrive on Netflix in 2025 (we don’t have an exact release date yet, unfortunately). Hwang hasn’t revealed how many episodes to expect in the final season, but given we only saw three games in Season 2, another seven episodes (at least) seems like a sensible bet.

Until then, read more about Season 2’s brilliant Player 001 twist, why Squid Game’s prize money isn’t as much as you think, and why Season 2 has the show’s most upsetting game to date.

You can also read our list of the best TV shows of 2024 and best movies of the year.