South Korean survival drama series, Squid Game was originally released to Netflix in 2021. The show follows protagonist Seong Gi-hun whose desperate attempts to pay off his debts entrench him in a deadly competition. 456 individuals, all suffering from varying financial predicaments, are first invited and later forced to participate in a series of children’s games for a cash prize of ₩45.6 billion ($38 million USD). The main catch is that losing any of these otherwise innocuous games results in the unfortunate participant’s immediate death.
Since its past three years on Netflix, Squid Game has received immense success, gaining popularity across the globe. The series became the most popular show on Netflix within the first six weeks following its premiere, with 111 million accounts having watched the series. It even surpassed Bridgerton, which had been the former highest-performing series, garnering 82 million accounts in its first 28 days of release. The highly anticipated second season of Squid Game will arrive to Netflix this December 26 and will continue following Seong Gi-hun as he attempts to take down the competition once and for all.
It just so happens that Squid Game’s upcoming mobile game, Squid Game: Unleashed, will also launch via Netflix this December. The multiplayer battle royale mobile game is in development under Netflix Game Studio, Boss Fight, and was originally announced back in August 2024 at Netflix’s 2024 lineup of games. Most of the game’s specific details were first revealed during Gamescom event on August 20, 2024. For many months the game’s projected release date had been left entirely unknown. That changed a few days ago.
Squid Game: Unleashed revealed its release date a November 19 through a post on its official X (formerly Twitter) account. The post also urges potential players to pre-register for the game in advance on the App Store or Google Play Store, advertising the prospect with an exclusive pre-registration skin at launch. The announcement includes link that sends users directly to the game’s official website, as well as the Squid Game: Unleashed pre-registration trailer, which showcases brief snippets of gameplay.
The game is heavily centered around the events of the Squid Game Netflix series, featuring iconic games from the show like Red Light, Green Light, Glass Bridge, Hell, The Men with the Umbrella, Stick to the Team, and additional games inspired by childhood pastimes. Players will control their own Squid Game contestant as they compete in live 32-player tournaments. Prizes for winning these matches will get players virtual money. Each win will advance them to higher tiers and subsequently, more advanced games.
Anyone interested in trying out Squid Game: Unleashed can pre-register for the game on both iOS and Android devices. The game is a Netflix Exclusive, however, meaning that players will need to have an active Netflix subscription in order to play.