'Squid Game' Season 2 News: Everything We Know

Ever since its premiere on Netflix, Squid Game has enraptured and disturbed so many viewers around the world that the streaming giant already predicts that the Korean dystopian thriller will become its most popular show, ever. Of course it's not hard to see why.

Netflix's record-breaking hit made history at the Emmy Awards. Star Lee Jung-jae took home the prize for Lead Actor in a Drama Series, becoming the first Korean actor to win in the category, while the show's creator Hwang Dong-hyuk won the statue for Best Directing in a Drama series, making Squid Game the first foreign-language series to nab the award.

If you happen to be one of the only people left on the planet who hasn't binged the series, now is your chance to catch up—Netflix announced last summer that the show is coming back for a sophomore season (see below) and director Hwang even teased a few details of the plot on the Emmys red carpet, telling Deadline that Lee's character Gi-hun, winner of the grisly games in season 1, will be driven by revenge in season 2.

Here's everything we know about Squid Game season two:

Squid Game season one ended on a cliffhanger.

For those who have yet to binge all 9 episodes, the Hunger Games-meets-Parasite premise of Squid Game is that 456 people who are desperate for money are invited to a creepy facility where, over the course of six days, they'll play various children's games (some are specifically Korean, like the Dalgona candy challenge and the titular Squid Game, while others are more universal, like Tug of War). The winner of it all will take home $38 million—but lose a game and you pay with your life.

At the center of the story is protagonist Gi-hun (played by Lee Jung-jae), an unemployed gambling addict running from loan sharks who appears to grapple most deeply with the grotesque moral compromises these players are forced to confront as the games progress. But there can only be one winner, and ultimately it's Gi-hun.

Youngkyu Park/Netflix

A still from Squid Game.

Still, Squid Game leaves several questions unanswered. First is the origin story of the Front Man, the mysterious masked presider who, as it turns out, was himself a winner of the games several years ago; not only that, he was a former cop. Second is the greater conspiracy behind the whole purpose of it all, which is for rich, white "VIPs" to seek entertainment and sick pleasure from watching poor Koreans kill each other for money. And lastly, it's that the show ends on a cliffhanger: Just as he is about to board a plane for America to be reunited with his daughter, a chance at a fresh start, Gi-hun turns around, instead vowing to expose the criminal organization responsible for the games.

Season two could focus on the Front Man.

The show's creator and director Hwang Dong-hyuk originally had no plans to write a sequel, he recently shared a few ideas for a sophomore run with the Sunday Times. "While I was writing season one, I thought about the stories that could be in season two if I get to do one—one would be the story of the Front Man," he said. "I think the issue with police officers is not just an issue in Korea. I see it on the global news that the police force can be very late on acting on things—there are more victims or a situation gets worse because of them not acting fast enough. This was an issue that I wanted to raise. Maybe in season two I can talk about this more."

Thankfully, Squid Game will be returning for a second season. In a letter to fans, Hwang Dong-hyuk, Squid Game's writer, director and executive producer, wrote, "It took 12 years to bring the first season of Squid Game to life last year. But it took 12 days for Squid Game to become the most popular Netflix series ever. As the writer, director, and producer of ‘Squid Game,’ a huge shout out to fans around the world. Thank you for watching and loving our show."

Hwang continues, "And now, Gi-hun returns. The Front Man returns. Season 2 is coming. The man in the suit with ddakji might be back. You’ll also be introduced to Young-hee’s boyfriend, Cheol-su. Join us once more for a whole new round."