Fans shocked as Netflix announces final season of beloved drama - see first look
Netflix has announced the third and final season of Squid Game, the Korean thriller that broke the internet when it first landed in 2021.
A post shared to Instagram read: "Nothing can prepare you for the final season of Squid Game! Squid Game Season 3 premieres on June 27. #NextOnNetflix".
The synopsis reads: "Picking up where the second season left off, Season 3 explores the choices Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) will make amidst overwhelming despair.
"As the Front Man (Lee Byung-hun) plots his next move, the surviving players find their decisions leading to increasingly dire consequences with each round of the deadly games."
It continues: "This season promises to push the limits of suspense and drama, keeping viewers glued to the action."
The recently revealed poster sets quite the harrowing tone for the season: gone are the rainbow hues of season two's six-legged pentathlon, and in their place lies an aggressively bright, swirling flower-patterned floor under a pair of familiarly sinister silhouettes to fans of the show.
New first-look images give very little away, though the cryptic set of photos suggest that viewers are in for a thrilling, tense and brutal finale.
The announcement comes following Netflix's leak of the release date earlier this month, when the release date was accidentally shared in a description posted on the streaming giant's official Korean YouTube channel.
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The information appeared in a video promoting the upcoming season, but the post was quickly taken down. Despite Netflix's attempts to remove it from the internet, screenshots quickly circulated across social media.
Fans react to the announcement
Since its release, the show has become a hit, with the second series becoming the third most-watched season on Netflix ever and breaking records for the most views in a premiere week.
Reactions have been mixed, with both excitement and sadness at the announcement of the final season. One fan wrote, on Instagram: "Excited but sad because it will be the final season, now no more waiting".
Another commented: "DON'T INVITE ME TO ANYTHING ON JUNE 27TH!!! I'LL BE VERY BUSY", while a third added: "Not final dude we want more season".
Why it's been called a must-watch
When Squid Game's first season landed in 2021, it was met with immediate widespread praise, for its biting social critiques contrasted with tender characterisation.
It picked up a range of accolades too, including six Emmy awards and a Golden Globe, while the second series earned another Golden Globe nomination before its wide release.
