Two years after its namesake took the world by storm, Squid Game: The Challenge is letting viewers in on a real-world version of the deadly games that made Squid Game such a phenomenon.
Don’t worry, the contestants in The Challenge aren’t putting actual lives on the line, like the fictional version of the show, but it is putting its competitors through the ringer. Some seriously challenging tasks have already rolled out across the first half of the show’s debut season, several of which are familiar to Squid Game viewers, and many that are brand new. No actual shots have been fired, and every eliminated contestant is actually walking away from their time on The Challenge, but that doesn’t make the competition any less intense.
That’s largely due to the massive pot on the line, which is prepped to inject a whopping $4.56 million into the bank account of the game’s big victor. It’s the biggest single cash prize in game show history, and that — combined with its gripping format and staggering number of competitors — is more than enough to make it Netflix’s latest hit.
Hit or not, however, nothing is guaranteed. Especially when it comes to Netflix — which seemingly renews and cancels shows with absolutely no rhyme or reason — even a successful show’s future is never assured.
Will Squid Game: The Challenge return for season 2?
The first five episodes of Squid Game: The Challenge arrived on Netflix on Nov. 22, 2023, and instantly established the reality competition as a new favorite. It became an overnight sensation, rising to become Netflix’s number-one show in a full 76 countries within three days of its release. It’s still going strong, as people obsess over the season’s conclusion, and ponder after its future.
Considering the widespread popularity The Challenge already boasts, early into its run on Netflix, it was always practically guaranteed to earn a season 2. This quickly proved true, as — on the very same day that its final episode aired — Netflix put an end to our wondering and confirmed that The Challenge will return for a second season. Its already recruiting new talent to join the stacked cast, and likely thinking up some creative new challenges to put participants through.
Initially, viewers were concerned over a snag that could have prevented another season of The Challenge. The show is eye-wateringly expensive, not only because of the huge number of competitors and challenging game sets, but also due to that mind-boggling winning prize. $4.56 million is a huge amount of money, and — while Netflix has plenty of cash to throw around — it may not be able to shell out quite so much more than a few times. It is willing to do so at least once more, however, as its already confirmed that the winning pot for season 2 remains $4.56 million.