Is ‘Squid Game' Over? What To Know About The American Spinoff And Upsetting Season 4 News
Squid Game S3 Lee Jung-jae as Seong Gi-hun in Squid Game S3
Warning: Spoilers ahead for Squid Game Season 3.
Season 3 of Squid Game premiered on Netflix this past weekend, serving as a thrilling conclusion to the South Korean drama that has captivated viewers around the world. Following the shocking ending, fans are left with big questions — will there be a Season 4, and what does the final scene mean for a potential American version of the show?
After winning the games, Gi-hun feels defeated after years of trying to track down the Front Man and Squid Game operatives. He's thrust into the deadly games for a second time in Season 2, and while he tries to warn the players of the inevitable outcome, the participants are torn between chasing the prize money and simply making it out alive.
Gi-hun lost many friends and allies, including Jung-bae, in the violent second season finale. But the games must go on, and in the third installment, he's forced to play even more torturous rounds that divide the players further, including a terrifying game of hide-and-seek and a deadly round of double Dutch. The stakes are raised even higher after he promises Jun-hee (Player 222) that he'll make sure her baby is safe.
Gi-hun is ultimately forced to choose between himself and Jun-hee's baby. He sacrifices his life so the baby can survive. 'The message I wanted to communicate was that if we solely pursue our immediate self-interest, and refuse to self-restrain, sacrifice, or bear any costs — and if we don't put our heads together — we have no future,' series creator Hwang Dong-hyuk told Tudum about his decision to kill off Gi-hun.
Also in the finale, rebellious Pink Guard No-eul successfully saves Gyeong-seok (Player 246), allowing him to reunite with his daughter, who is battling cancer. She sets off for China after learning that her daughter might still be alive there. Meanwhile, the Front Man — who appears to have a change of fate in Season 3 — leaves Jun-hee's baby at his brother's house, along with her cash prize. He also deposits Gi-hun's prize money into a bank account and travels to Los Angeles to deliver it to Gi-hun's daughter, Ga-yeong.
But the final scene of Season 3 sets the stage for something bigger within the franchise — the possibility of an American version featuring a female recruiter played by an A-list star. Here's what to know about the status of Squid Game Season 4 the latest on the rumored American spinoff.
Will There Be A Squid Game Season 4?
Squid Game Season 3
Unfortunately, the third season of Squid Game also marks the end of the series. Creator Hwang Dong-hyuk confirmed last July that the Netflix drama would end with Season 3, meaning there will be no fourth season.
'I am thrilled to see the seed that was planted in creating a new Squid Game grow and bear fruit through the end of this story,' Hwang penned in a letter to fans in 2024. 'Well do our best to make sure we bring you yet another thrill ride. I hope you're excited for what's to come.'
While there won't be a continuation of Squid Game following Gi-hun's death, the creator hasn't ruled out the possibility of a spinoff set during the time gap between Seasons 1 and 2 — when the fan-favorite character was still alive.
Squid Game S3 Lee Jung-jae as Seong Gi-hun in Squid Game S3
'I think the story ended in a manner where it doesn't need a further story to be told. So I am not too interested in telling a story that continues on from the conclusion,' he told The Hollywood Reporter. 'If I were to do a spinoff someday, I think I would rather choose to go back and see what happened during that time gap [between seasons one and two]. But this is something that we are just tossing around, so as for when or how a spinoff might come about, it's still up in the air.'
Hwang shared a similar idea with Entertainment Weekly, suggesting that the spinoff could take place during the period when 'Gi-hun looks around for the recruiters' of Squid Game. 'There is that three-year period, and maybe I could have a portrayal of what the recruiters or Captain Park or officers or masked men were doing in that period, not inside the gaming arena, but their life outside of that,' he continued.
As of June 2025, sources told Variety that Netflix currently has no plans to announce a Squid Game spinoff. However, due to the addition of Cate Blanchett in the final scene and the success of the main series, 'Netflix is considering next steps for the IP.'
Will There Be An American Version Of Squid Game Following The Season 3 Finale Cameo?
Squid Game S3 Lee Byung-hun as Frontman in Squid Game S3
The final scene of Season 3 shows the Front Man driving through Downtown Los Angeles after leaving Gi-hun's daughter's home. Suddenly, he hears two people playing the familiar Korean game, ddakji — the same game used by Squid Game recruiters in South Korea to lure vulnerable people into the competition.
When he looks over, he sees a well-dressed woman in a suit (hello, Cate Blanchett!) and a struggling man playing the game. The woman glances at the Front Man, and the moment seems to suggest that she's a recruiter for another version of the games, this time, in the U.S.
Multiple outlets have reported rumors that an English-language Squid Game series has been pitched by David Fincher (Blanchett previously worked with him on The Curious Case of Benjamin Button). However, little has been officially confirmed about the potential U.S. spinoff or whether Blanchett will be involved moving forward.
Sources also told The Hollywood Reporter that Blanchett's cameo in the final scene of Season 3 is not currently intended to set up any future storylines 'at this time.' However, given the Fincher–Blanchett connection, it's possible that could change in the future.
Meanwhile, Hwang told Netflix that he felt having a 'woman as a recruiter would be more dramatic and intriguing" for the series. "And as for why Cate Blanchett, she's just the best, with unmatched charisma. Who doesn't love her? So we were very happy to have her appear. We needed someone who could dominate the screen with just one or two words, which is exactly what she did.'
Stay tuned for future updates on the series, including both the South Korean finale and the potential American spinoff.
Season 3 of Squid Game is streaming on Netflix. Watch the official trailer below.
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I had hoped that RECEIVER would bring some attention to the new direction of my film work (it was the first real horror film that I had directed after writing several scripts in the genre), and it did. So I was thrilled with what it accomplished. And then I moved on to writing THROUGH THE THROAT. What is your next project and when can we expect to see it? My next project after RECEIVER, THROUGH THE THROAT, is screening at Film Quest right now, and is at the beginning of its festival run. I hope it will be out to more festivals and streaming in 2025. Where can we find more of your work and where can interested parties contact you? Do you have a website or YouTube/Vimeo channel? Social media handles? My website, has links to my YouTube and Vimeo accounts, and currently hosts RECEIVER as well as my previous film HANGNAIL, both of which are available to watch for free. In addition, I'm on Instagram and Facebook @InterlockPictures, Letterboxd at SecamTO, and Twitter @CCamOperator Bonus Question #1: What is your all-time favorite film? It's a tie between Lawrence of Arabia and Blade Runner. Please don't ask me to choose which of my children is my favourite. Bonus Question #2: What is the film that most inspired you to become a filmmaker and/or had the most influence on your work? I would like to say North By Northwest, which my dad introduced me to at the very cusp of becoming a teenager, and it was hugely influential. Now, all of that is true, but the real answer is Raiders of the Lost Ark. I was an 80s kid, and adored Indiana Jones and Star Wars. But it was my love of Raiders (and wearing out two VHS tapes of the film) that had me set at 10 years old to make films with my life, before I even understood what a film director does. Granted I don't really make adventure films, so we might say that the storytelling of North by Northwest and Raiders weren't so much the influence as the precision of their craft, and their absolute foregrounding of audience experience. Sometimes the 'light' films can be the most profound.
