Squid Game: The Challenge – Release date, trailer, cast, and more

Lucy-Jo Finnighan
The taskmasters in Squid Game: The Challenge.

Netflix’s Squid Game: The Challenge is set to drop next month, so here’s everything we know about the new reality TV show, including release date, trailer, cast, and more.

South Korean thriller Squid Game took the world by storm when it premiered on Netflix in 2021, with viewers now eagerly awaiting a second season.

Fans have also busied themselves by recreating the games in real life, only with less death. And now, even the streaming platform is getting in on the act

As next month Squid Game: The Challenge debuts on the streamer, wherein 456 contestants will compete for a prize total of $4.56 million.

Is there a Squid Game: The Challenge release date?

Yes, Squid Game: The Challenge will premiere on November 22, 2023 on Netflix, and conclude on December 6, 2023.

The game show was officially ordered by Netflix last June, so the work on this series has definitely been quick in comparison to the original, which took a decade to come to fruition.

Check out the first official poster for the show below:

Squid Game: The Challenge cast – Who are the contestants?

So far, only eight contestants have been announced on the Squid Games: The Challenge’s IMDb page. There are expected to be 465, like in the original show.

These contestants include:

  • Michael Van Wijk
  • Lee Taylor
  • Theresa Sherron
  • Marcus Harrington
  • Deandre Sipthekid Smith
  • Brian D. Banks
  • Midge Ripoli
  • Terry Myers

Jerry Ronson was also listed on the cast page but as a “Games Tester” rather than a contestant.

Is there a Squid Game: The Challenge trailer?

The first full trailer for Squid Game: The Challenge is now live on YouTube, and can be viewed below.

While you can check out more videos about the show below…

These videos evoke the imagery of the original show, with guards ironing uniforms and getting the cash prize ready.

The 60-second video below depicts the same room from the original Squid Game series, in addition to a giant sphere of cash.

Squid Game: The Challenge premise – What will happen in the reality show?

According to a Netflix press release, the premise of Squid Game: The Challenge reads: “With both the largest cast and lump sum cash prize in reality TV history, 456 real players will enter the game in pursuit of a life-changing reward of $4.56 million. As they compete through a series of games inspired by the original show – plus surprising new additions – their strategies, alliances, and character will be put to the test while competitors are eliminated around them. The stakes are high, but in this game, the worst fate is going home empty-handed.”

In a recent presentation, Netflix’s vice president of unscripted and documentary series Brandon Riegg hyped up the contest, explaining: “Later this year we’ll also debut our most ambitious competition series ever. Squid Game: The Challenge has 456 real players competing for $4.56 million – the largest lump sum cash prize in the history of reality television.”

“Squid Game took the world by storm with director Hwang [Dong-hyuk]’s captivating story and iconic imagery,” Riegg also stated when announcing the game show last summer. “We’re grateful for his support as we turn the fictional world into reality in this massive competition and social experiment.”

Updated on October 23, 2023 with first trailer.

If you want to read more of our TV & movie content, check out our main page for the latest news. While you can check out more previews below:

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About The Author

Lucy-Jo is a Movies and TV Writer at Dexerto, and has previously written for Screen Rant and Girls on Tops. After earning a Master's Degree in Film and Literature, Lucy-Jo now loves covering films, TV shows, and anime, especially if it's something by Mike Flanagan, or anything drenched in camp. You can contact her at lucyjo.finnighan@dexerto.com