Squid Game video game: Everything we know

❘ Updated: 2022-03-09T21:51:51

Netflix

Squid Game has been a runaway success for Netflix.

Is a Squid Game video game already in development at Netflix? The wildly popular Korean drama could be making the jump in the near future with players able to experience similarly life-threatening challenges for themselves. Here’s a rundown of all there is to know about the potential adaptation.

Within barely a few days of Squid Game arriving on Netflix, it quickly blossomed into one of the biggest shows not just of 2021, but of all time. It’s officially in the books as the biggest series launch on Netflix with more than 111 million unique views in just 17 days.

Given this rapid surge in popularity, Netflix has been scrambling to figure out what comes next. Another season, books, board game spinoffs, it’s all being considered but one project appears more likely to happen sooner than later: a video game.

It’s still early days yet, but here’s a full overview of everything we know about the Squid Game video game.

Is Netflix working on a Squid Game video game?

Squid Game pits hundreds of players together in deadly challenges

While nothing is finalized, Netflix is indeed exploring the potential of a video game adaptation for its immensely successful Squid Game series.

With how rapidly the show exploded across social media, Netflix is not only focusing on ideas for a second season, but also on new projects in other mediums, Minyoung Kim, VP of Content for Netflix Asia Pacific, told Hollywood Reporter.

“My team’s role is to really look at all of those opportunities together, to create that roadmap for the Squid Game IP. We are looking at multiple different areas — from games, consumer product and others — to really figure out what we can bring to our audiences to increase their affinity toward our content and give them more joy, while staying true to the world that our creator has built.”

So a gaming spinoff hasn’t exactly been locked in, but Netflix is undoubtedly interested in the idea. “This is just the start,” Kim explained.

Is there a release date for the Squid Game video game?

Given the overnight sensation only just launched on Netflix in 2021, we’re likely still a long way out from the release of a Squid Game video game.

Depending on the scope of the project, we could be looking at a fairly long development cycle. For a smaller mobile adaptation, for instance, 2023 could be a safe bet. But if Netflix has ambitions of creating a AAA battle royale title with its blockbuster IP, we could be looking at a 3-5 year development cycle, placing the release somewhere between 2024-2026.

Squid Game video game developers

As for who will develop a video game adaptation of the popular show, that remains a mystery for the time being. It’s still very early days in the Netflix gaming roadmap, so there’s really no telling who has been assigned the massive project if a studio has even been selected yet.

Night School is one of the studios now under Netflix.

Netflix houses just one dev team at the time of writing. Night School Studio, the devs behind Oxenfree and Afterparty, were brought on as the first Netflix gaming team on September 28. While it could be safe to predict Night School as the Squid Game developers, this appears to be just the first of many signings under the Netflix umbrella.

Given they have no history in multiplayer titles, they might not be a perfect match. Therefore, it’s likely we’ll see some more developers joining the red and black brand in the coming months, some of which could be responsible for the Squid Game project.

How will the Squid Game video game work?

With Squid Game’s devious challenges stringing together to crown one ultimate winner, a video game adaptation will predictably follow a similar rhythm.

If the game is to mirror the show’s concept, the battle royale genre is the closest comparison. Players will likely be dropped into a lobby ‘waiting room’ as various minigames load in. This could be dozens of players or even hundreds all at once if Netflix can overcome the technical hurdles in front of them.

Players should then compete through a wave of these varying tasks, with failure resulting in a swift death much like the show.

Fall Guys would be the closest example of a Squid Game video game today, though the Netflix project will have a far more adult theme.

While waiting for a potential announcement for the new Squid Game video game, check out some other upcoming titles.