The wait for season 2 of Squid Game is almost over! In this article, we discuss 8 predictions for the Netflix hit series.
The highly anticipated Netflix series Squid Game will return to Netflix for its second season on December 26, 2024. Though I have yet to see an announcement of how many episodes season 2 will have, if it follows in the previous season’s footsteps, we can assume that there may be 9. Lee Jung-jae, Gong Yoo, Lee Byung-hun, and Wi Ha-jun will be reprising their roles, while there will also be a whole new set of characters partaking in the games themselves and numerous compelling predictions about how the story will develop.
When Squid Game was released in September 2021, the South Korean K-drama took the world by storm and quickly became one of Netflix’s most popular shows of all time. The series centers around a group of individuals facing financial difficulties who are invited to play a series of games for a grand cash prize. Though once they arrive at the remote location to participate in the competition, it’s revealed that what they signed up for is vastly different from anything they could have ever imagined.
Since its release, the reaction to the show has been extremely positive, with the series being praised for its immaculate writing, emotional resonance with many players of the games, and outstanding acting from its talented cast.
When it was announced that Netflix would be releasing two more seasons of Squid Game, I, like many other fans, felt somewhat nervous. After all, the first season was such a well-crafted series, and I feared that two more seasons would be overKILL (pardon the pun). That said, the release of season 2’s teaser trailers has me exceptionally excited, and the possibilities of what could happen are all I can talk about!
With a brand-new season set for release, one can’t help but wonder where the story may take us. So, stick around as I discuss 8 predictions for season 2.
*Please note, this article contains major spoilers from season 1 of Squid Game*
1. The Games will move to a new location
This may seem like a more obvious prediction, but one that I think could happen, especially given the fact that in season 1, The Front Man’s brother found out the location of the games, and the leaders behind the games don’t know who he may have told. Due to this, I think it’s safe to assume that the next round of games will take place in another location, which will disrupt the possibility of those trying to take the operation down, succeeding. This frustrating twist of fate will not only add to the complexity of the situation but will also keep us on the edge of our seats while watching season 2’s story unfold.
2. Gi-hun will not play in the games in Season 2 of Squid Game
Though Gi-hun is pictured in the most recent season 2 Squid Game trailer back in his 456 Squid Game tracksuit, I do not believe that he will play in the games again. Not only would this feel repetitive, but he would have to win again to leave the establishment alive, which feels incredibly unrealistic. As for the explanation behind these sequences, I think they are nightmares that Gi-hun may be having about reentering the games, as he’s now carrying the burden and guilt of all those people that he saw die before his very eyes and the trauma that has caused him since winning.
3. Gi-hun’s winnings will lead law enforcement to the games
Though the Squid Game operation is immaculate when it comes to covering its tracks, every transaction has a trail, and Gi-hun’s winnings could potentially lead law enforcement to the games, as they had to have come from somewhere. I think this could be a key piece of evidence, should Gi-hun’s ex-wife start digging into where he may have disappeared off to, as he was meant to go to America to visit his daughter. That said, given his unreliability in the past, the more likely outcome is that someone else discovers Gi-hun’s winnings and attempts to trace the sender.
4. Gi-hun will be forced to work for the games to keep his daughter safe
While I don’t think Gi-hun will play in the games again, I do think he may be captured while attempting to bring the operation down, which will lead to him being held against his will and forced to work for The Front Man. The staff are already aware of Gi-hun’s desire to dissolve the wicked establishment and will be watching him closely, and there are numerous clips in the season 2 trailer (one that involves a Pink Soldier waiting beside an open car door, as Gi-hun approaches). This implies that he is taken back to the games as some form of punishment.
Throughout the first season, it was revealed that Gi-hun was a bit of a deadbeat dad, but he was, at least by his standards, trying to be a better father to his daughter. At the end of season 1, it was revealed that his daughter had immigrated to America with her mother, though given how meticulous the Squid Game operation is, assuming they have eyes everywhere—even possibly internationally—is a safe bet. I believe in season 2 they will use Gi-hun’s daughter as leverage, and to ensure her safety, Gi-hun will pay the price by having to work as a member of staff for The Front Man.
5. The Salesman is actually the mastermind behind the games
Before the most recent Squid Game 2 teaser trailer was released, I was convinced that The Salesman was the mastermind behind the games. My theory was that he is hiding in plain sight and delighting in the fact that he’s the one out in the real world convincing every player to join the games by playing a simple game on the subway. It also made sense to me that the most senior person may not want to be onsite at the games, as it posed a higher risk of being caught should anyone discover the game’s location. So, instead, he worked on the outside where he could keep his hands clean, so to speak.
While I have become less confident with this prediction, I still think there’s a lot of logic behind it, and that he’s going to be a major part of season 2. There was also a still image released earlier in the year of The Salesman and Gi-hun sitting opposite each other at a table, and The Salesman is holding a gun, so who knows what this mysterious man is capable of.
6. The Salesman will help Gi-hun enter the location of the games undetected
I know this contradicts the previous prediction on this list, but one of Squid Game’s Season 2 teaser trailers is what made me keen on this idea. In the clip, which was posted to Netflix’s Twitter account in September of this year, we see The Salesman (Gong Yoo) outside of his usual subway setting for the first time ever. The suave businessman is getting ready for the day in what appears to be a hotel, and after showering and grabbing one of many suits from his wardrobe, he organizes his briefcase. The man, who is also known as The Recruit, loads it with cash, and the blue and red cards that are used to play ddakji. As a quick refresher, this is the game he plays with potential players on the subway. He then places the renowned Squid Game business cards into his pocket and leaves for work.
But what happens next really caught my attention and got me thinking. After stepping into the elevator, The Salesman closes his eyes as he descends in the elevator, taking in all the subway noises surrounding him. This small mannerism gave me the distinct impression that The Salesman is being forced to partake in this job against his own will, which certainly makes the setup of season 2 more interesting. After all, he is the only person in the outside world that Gi-hun has access to, which is why I think he will be a key component when it comes to the former Squid Game winner seeking revenge. I believe that The Salesman may be convinced by Gi-hun to help him enter the games to bring them down and The Salesman will educate him on the players behind its creation.
7. Jun-ho will attempt to kill his brother (The Front Man) and be forced to work for/or play in the games
Considering that The Front Man has such an important role in the series, and Netflix announced that there will also be a season 3, I think it’s highly unlikely that he will be killed off in season 2, but I still think there will be a hit made on him. After all, in a world with so many uncertainties where nothing feels off limits, it’s certainly not out of the question.
In season 1 episode 8 titled “Front Man,” Jun-ho is shot by his brother in the shoulder. Only, after falling into the water, we never see his body again. It has already been announced that Wi Ha-jun is reprising his role in season 2, and I don’t believe his scenes will merely be flashbacks. Instead, I think he will abandon his morals to take his brother down, but will be captured by the staff and forced to become a member of staff at the games or be forced to play in the games. He is as much of a threat to the operation as Gi-hun, if not more, based on his occupation as a cop. We also don’t know if the text evidence he sent to his boss (the police chief) was received, but the thought that it could have been certainly makes things incredibly exciting!
8. Season 2 of Squid Game will reveal that all the people working for the games are former winners
In season 1, Jun-ho discovered documents revealing that his brother (The Front Man) was a former winner of the games. This is an intriguing reveal, as it solidifies that he either decided to stay at the games and become The Front Man after his win, or he reentered the outside world and was led back to the games somehow. Whether it was willingly or unwillingly is something we are yet to know, but it certainly confirms that at least one former Squid Game winner became a member of the staff.
This makes it more likely that all the men suited up in their pink costumes are former winners, too, including The Salesman. This is a prediction that not only has legs but is one that I would love to be true, adding more layers and depth to the games, especially if Squid Game digs into the past of former winners and how they came to work for such a wicked operation.
And there you have it! Those are my 8 predictions of what could go down in season 2 of Squid Game. What are some of your predictions? Thankfully, we get to experience all the chaos in just under 11 weeks! So, in the words of Squid Game, LET THE GAMES BEGIN!
