Squid Game Season 1 ended on a massive cliffhanger. Seong Gi-hun won the competition and became the first person to leave the mysterious island alive. Meanwhile, Detective Jun-ho, shocked by the revelation of the Front Man’s true identity, was shot and fell off a cliff.

However, from the very beginning of Season 2, it’s clear that the detective isn’t going to give up, and as for Gi-hun, he doesn’t plan to use the 45 million Won he won from the Games to improve his life. Instead, he’s determined to end Squid Game once and for all. But will he succeed in his mission?

While Season 1 had 9 episodes, Season 2 has been kept shorter with just 7 episodes. However, there’s no compromise on action and suspense, which continue to build up throughout the season — including the gripping end-credit scene. So, let’s dive straight into Episode 1!

EP1: Bread and Lottery

Episode 1 begins right where Season 1 left off, with Gi-hun at the airport. As he decides to skip his flight, the Front Man calls to threaten him, but Gi-hun remains unfazed. He heads back to Seoul and, on the way, uses a blade to remove the tracker implanted in his body, explaining how the Front Man knew he wasn’t on the flight to Seoul.

Meanwhile, Detective Jun-ho is revealed to be alive, regaining consciousness in a hospital after the events of Season 1.

The story then jumps ahead by two years.

Jun-ho, no longer part of the Major Crimes Division, has been demoted to traffic police. All the evidence he had collected against the Squid Game and the VIPs is lost since the phone containing his recordings went missing. With no proof left, he realizes that if he wants to catch his brother, the Front Man, he’ll need to infiltrate the island once again.

Gi-hun, on the other hand, has turned a motel room into his base of operations. For the past two years, he has been desperately searching for the Recruiter, employing gangster Mr. Kim and his assistant Woo-Seok to track him down in the subway. Despite the time and effort, there’s been no success so far. Thankfully, money isn’t an issue for Gi-hun, as he has piles of cash stacked in his room to fund his mission.

The thugs eventually spot the Recruiter playing a game at a subway station and follow him. The chase leads to a homeless park, where the Recruiter offers the people a choice: a bread roll or a lottery ticket. Most people choose the lottery ticket and end up with nothing, while the Recruiter mockingly throws the remaining bread rolls on the ground and crushes them.

As Gi-hun rushes to the park, he’s stopped by traffic cops for overspeeding. One of these cops is Jun-ho, who uses the encounter to dig into Gi-hun’s details and later follows him to his motel that night.

Meanwhile, the Recruiter overpowers Mr. Kim and Woo-Seok in an alley, drags them to his base, and forces them to play a twisted game of Rock, Paper, Scissors. The loser must play Russian Roulette, resulting in Mr. Kim’s death. After extracting information from Woo-Seok, the Recruiter tracks down Gi-hun’s location.

When the Recruiter confronts Gi-hun, they sit down to talk. Gi-hun insists on sending a message to the people running the Games. But the Recruiter starts narrating his story, revealing that during his time as a Squid Game staff member, he was once ordered to kill his own father—and he obeyed without hesitation.

The confrontation escalates into a deadly Russian Roulette game. One by one, the turns pass without a bullet firing. On the fifth turn, it becomes clear that the sixth shot will undoubtedly fire. Knowing this, the Recruiter—laughing maniacally and fully embracing his psychotic nature—pulls the trigger on himself, ending his life.

The tension leaves Gi-hun shaken but more determined than ever to dismantle the Squid Game from its core.

EP2: Halloween Party

Gi-hun retrieves a business card from the Recruiter’s jacket, which contains the name of a club and a time. Hearing the gunshot, Jun-ho arrives at the motel room, rescues Woo-Seok from the adjacent room, and learns about the situation.

Initially, Jun-ho is attacked and tied up due to his identity as a cop, but the group quickly understands the bigger picture and starts working together to devise a plan to end the Games.

Meanwhile, we’re introduced to a new character, Kang No-eul, a North Korean defector who fled the country, leaving her one-year-old child behind. She now works as a mascot at an amusement park but is homeless and lives in her car in a parking lot.

One day, while following a co-worker’s sick daughter to the hospital, she learns that the child has cancer. This scene also introduces the child’s father, who is destined to become a participant in the Games.

Back in Seoul, Gi-hun takes extreme measures by having one of his teeth extracted and replaced with a tracker implant. He also recruits a former army officer to assist in his mission.

On Halloween night, Gi-hun leads his group to the club mentioned on the business card. However, amidst the crowd, masked staff members in pink jumpsuits capture Gi-hun and take him out through a hidden passage, placing him in a limousine. Meanwhile, Jun-ho and the rest of the team are intercepted by Game snipers, who disable their car by blasting its tires.

Inside the limousine, Gi-hun confronts the Front Man’s voice, demanding an end to the Games. However, the Front Man insults Gi-hun and all those who participate in the Games, ridiculing their choices and circumstances.

With no other option left, Gi-hun decides to re-enter the Games. He challenges the Front Man, insulting him in return, which provokes the Front Man’s ego and forces him to accept the challenge.

Elsewhere, No-eul is approached by a recruiter and given a card. However, in a surprising twist, she isn’t recruited as a player but as a staff member. Along with other staff, she suits up in an abandoned truck’s cabin and heads out, preparing for the upcoming Games.

EP3: 001

Jun-ho, Woo-seok, and their team board the same ship that once saved Jun-ho from drowning, using Gi-hun’s implanted tracker to follow his movements. However, unbeknownst to them, they are headed toward the wrong island.

Total Players: 456

Meanwhile, Gi-hun wakes up in the familiar dormitory, once again wearing his #456 jumpsuit. Surrounding him are new players, each with unique personalities:

• A scamming YouTuber,
• A mother-son duo,
• A trans woman still undergoing her transition,
• Contestants drowning in debts as high as 10 billion won,
• A purple-haired rapper nicknamed “Thanos,”
• And Gi-hun’s old friend, Jung-bae, whose presence shocks him.

The first game is announced: Red Light, Green Light.

At this moment, Gi-hun discovers that the staff has already removed the tracker from his body, rendering Jun-ho and his team’s efforts futile as they head to the wrong location.

As the game begins, chaos ensues, and many players are eliminated by gunfire for failing to follow the rules. Gi-hun steps up as a leader, helping players form a strategy of moving in groups and guiding them to safety. Thanks to his efforts, several players survive the first game.

Among the staff is No-eul, now serving as a sniper. She spots Player 246, the father of the sick child she met earlier, struggling to stay in the game. His motivation to win for his daughter’s medical treatment resonates deeply with her.

During the game, Player 444 gets injured. Gi-hun tries to help him cross the finish line, but No-eul, following orders, shoots him despite his survival.

Back in the dorm, Gi-hun organizes a vote to end the Games. However, before the vote concludes, the staff announces the prize money and reveals that it will increase with each eliminated player. This revelation sways many players, making them reconsider their decision.

This time, a new voting rule is introduced: players will vote to continue or exit the Games after every round. Even if the Games end, the accumulated prize money will be distributed among the players.

The vote reaches a tie, leaving the final decision to Player 001. In a shocking twist, he votes to continue the Games, revealing himself to be none other than the Front Man, In-ho.

Players Remaining: 365

EP4: Six Legs

The episode begins with a focus on the workers. Before burning the bodies of dead players, they mark the coffins of injured but still alive players for organ harvesting.

In the dormitory, Player 001—who introduces himself as Young Ill—tries to earn Gi-hun’s trust by getting closer to him. Among the new players, Kang Dae-ho and Jung-bae, both ex-marines, join Gi-hun’s group.

Meanwhile, Yong-sik’s mother reveals to him that another player, Jun-hee, is pregnant, and her boyfriend is Myung-gi.

Elsewhere, Thanos and Nam-gyu bully Myung-gi over their financial losses, but 001 intervenes and stops them using his surprising fighting skills.

Later, 001 shares his tragic backstory with Gi-hun, revealing that he joined the Games to save his terminally ill wife.

On the staff side, those involved in organ harvesting grow frustrated as many bodies are too damaged from fatal injuries. No-eul, refusing to leave players injured, ensures they are killed outright to prevent their organs from being harvested. This rebellious behavior catches the attention of the Masked Officer, who turns out to be her former boss from her amusement park job. He questions her loyalty, but No-eul refuses to cooperate with him.

Meanwhile, Jun-ho returns to the Seoul Police Station seeking help, but due to a lack of evidence, his boss dismisses his claims.

The second game begins, surprising Gi-hun and the other players. Instead of the expected Dalgona challenge, they face a new team-based game called “Six-Legged Pentathlon.” Players are divided into groups of five and must compete in five mini-games within a 5-minute timer. The losing teams are eliminated on the spot.

During this game, No-eul once again kills injured players before they are sent to the coffins, defying the organ-harvesting operation.

Gi-hun’s team survives the challenge as the last remaining group, consisting of In-ho, Dae-ho, Jung-bae, and Jun-hee.

EP5: One More Game

The episode opens with the remaining players participating in a Spinning Top game. Against the odds, Hyun-ju’s team wins, showcasing their determination.

As the game progresses, the final match pits Gi-hun’s team against a group of random players. As expected, Gi-hun’s team emerges victorious, and the losing team is eliminated.

Players Remaining 110

Back in the dorms, Hyun-ju reveals that she joined the games to win the prize money needed to complete her gender transition. Meanwhile, Thanos tightens his control over his team, bullying them into submission.

At the same time, No-eul faces increasing pressure from the organ-harvesting staff. Soldiers storm into her room, threatening her to stop killing injured players before they are sent to the coffins.

The remaining 110 players form two camps in the dorms. A vote to stay or leave is initiated, beginning with Player 001. Despite many players’ hesitation, the majority votes to stay, swayed by the lure of the prize money.

Outside the island, Jun-ho continues his mission to track Gi-hun. He splits his team into two groups, each searching the nearby islands using separate boats.

On the island, the third game, “Mingle,” begins. Contestants are placed on a rotating central platform and must form groups of a specified size within 30 seconds of the prompt. Once grouped, they must lock themselves in side rooms.

Groups that fail to match the required number, or any players left outside, are immediately eliminated. The tension and chaos escalate as the players scramble to survive this unpredictable and deadly challenge.

EP6: O – X

The episode begins with a gruesome scene, as blood covers the floor of the game room. The tension escalates when players are required to form groups of three for the next round. Yong-sik and his mother are forced to separate, but Gi-hun and In-ho intervene just in time to protect them.

In a shocking moment during the game, Myung-gi locks himself and his pregnant girlfriend, Jun-hee, inside a room, leaving Young-mi stranded outside to die. Hyun-ju is devastated by Young-mi’s death, breaking down emotionally.

As the game progresses, the final round requires players to form pairs, plunging the group into chaos. Many players are brutally eliminated. In-ho partners with Jung-bae but faces a tense moment when an additional player enters their room. To survive, In-ho kills the extra player, securing their spot in the next stage.

Meanwhile, Jun-ho and his team, aboard a boat, use a drone to locate the Squid Game HQ. They spot a suspicious trapdoor and send a team to investigate, but it turns out to be a booby trap. The resulting explosion kills one member and injures another, adding to their peril.

Back on the island, the surviving players return to the dorms, strategizing for the next steps. During the group vote to continue or stop the game, In-ho unexpectedly votes to end the games, resulting in a tie. As per the rules, a re-vote can only happen the next day.

At dinner, Gi-hun notices the forks provided with the meal and pieces together a clue about the upcoming challenge. Tensions reach a boiling point when Thanos and Nam-gyu corner Min-su in the bathroom, threatening him to change his vote. The confrontation escalates violently when Myung-gi intervenes, sparking a brutal fight between members of the X and O teams.

In a shocking turn, Min-su kills Thanos in self-defense using a fork, leaving the dorm in utter chaos as alliances and rivalries deepen.

EP7: Friend or Foe

The Season 2 finale kicks off with chaos and bloodshed. The bathroom brawl results in the deaths of five contestants, intensifying tensions between the two teams in the dorms as everyone braces for how this will impact the next vote.

Out at sea, the Captain’s true intentions are finally revealed. Late at night, he tampers with the drone, and when the pilot confronts him, the Captain kills him and disposes of the body in the ocean. Woo-seok and Jun-ho remain oblivious to the Captain’s betrayal, unaware that he has become a new threat to their mission.

Back in the game, the staff announces a “special game” set to take place during lights-out.

Gi-hun warns his group about the inevitable chaos after the lights go out. However, instead of fighting the other contestants, he urges his team to hide and prepare to fight against the game organizers.

When the lights go out, Team O launches a brutal assault on their opponents, killing many players in the dark.

The guards intervene just in time to stop the slaughter. But amid the confusion, Gi-hun’s group seizes the opportunity to overpower the guards and steal their weapons. They destroy the cameras and, with some other players’ help, plan an attack on the Control Room.

The group faces heavy gunfire as they navigate the hallways. In the chaos, Gi-hun and Jung-bae manage to reach the management area and take control. Meanwhile, Dae-ho is sent to retrieve more ammunition but succumbs to fear and hides in the dorms instead.

In-ho and two other players join Gi-hun to push toward the Control Room. However, In-ho betrays the team, shooting both players in the back. He then turns on Gi-hun, shooting him and siding with the staff, ordering them to eliminate all rebel players.

The remaining rebels, cornered and out of bullets, surrender in the hallway, but the soldiers execute them anyway. The guards also storm the dorms to regain full control. Hyun-ju, sent to retrieve bullets, is stopped by Yong-sik’s mother, who begs her not to rejoin the fight.

In the climactic final moments, Gi-hun faces the Front Man, who reveals himself and coldly executes Jung-bae in front of Gi-hun.

The season ends with Gi-hun screaming in anguish, completely broken, as the screen fades to black.

Total Players Remaining: ??? – Unknown

Squid Game Season 2 Mid Credits Explained

The episode teases a chilling twist with a mid-credits scene, setting the stage for what’s to come.

This scene introduces a new version of the Red Light, Green Light game, now featuring two giant robot dolls. The original doll, Young-hee, is joined by a new male doll named Cheol-su. He wears a striped polo shirt and a hat, standing opposite Young-hee. The two robots face each other as the stoplight switches from red to green, and then the screen fades to black.

Upon closer inspection, this scene appears to be set against a sunset backdrop, with players 096, 100, and 353 moving slowly toward Young-hee. Young-hee and Cheol-su are characters from Korean schoolbooks, widely popular from the 1960s to the 1980s.

This scene sparks new theories about the game’s inspiration, drawing parallels to the classic Jack and Jill poem’s Korean version. While there isn’t a game named “Jack & Jill” in Korean culture, there is a children’s board game based on the poem.

The game’s objective is for players to climb the hill and reach the well first. The game starts at the bottom of the hill, where players roll dice to advance. Once they’re at a certain point, they spin a spinner. If it points to the well, they stop and let the next player go. If it points to the bucket, they must start over. The first player to reach the well and land on it with the spinner wins.

In addition, there’s another game Gi-hun mentioned in Squid Game Season 1, called “Why Did You Come to My House?” In this game, two teams stand opposite each other, much like Young-hee and Cheol-su. Each team has its own “house,” and players must take turns trying to recruit members from the opposite team by playing rock-paper-scissors.

The game goes like this:

1. Two teams are split equally.
2. One person from each team plays rock-paper-scissors to decide which team will attack first. The teams stand in parallel lines.
3. The defending team moves forward while singing the line, “Why did you come to my house, come to my house, come to my house?” The attacking team moves backward.
4. The attacking team then sings, “To pick the flowers, pick the flowers, pick the flowers.”
5. The defending team asks, “Which flower, flower, flower?” while the attacking team names a player they want to steal.
6. The named player faces off in rock-paper-scissors with someone from the opposing team. If they lose, they join the attacking team; if they win, they stay on their team.
7. The process repeats until one team has all the players.

This game adds an extra layer of intrigue, aligning with the twisted dynamics of Squid Game.

Check out an example of the game here:

But this teaser has only increased the excitement for Season 3. Which of these two game theories do you think is correct? Let me know in the comments!