Squid Game creator Hwang Dong-hyuk has revealed that season 3 almost had a drastically different ending — an ending that might have gone over better with fans still divided over how the hit series wrapped.

In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Hwang said he originally wrote an ending where Player 456, Seong Gi-hun, leaves the deadly games behind for good. That’s a sharp contrast to the version that made it to screen, where Gi-hun sacrifices his life in the end for the new Player 222.

Hwang shared that his original plan for the Netflix series was far more hopeful. Gi-hun, the show’s main character, would have ended the game, left alive and reunited with his daughter in the US.

«In the beginning, I had a vague idea about how I would end the story. And back then, it was having Gi-hun end the game, in one way or another, and leave alive and go see his daughter in America,» Hwang said. «So originally, I thought the person who witnesses the American recruiter woman would be Gi-hun.»

But over time, Hwang said the story evolved as he reflected on current events and the show’s larger message. «I was witnessing more and more what was happening around the world,» he said, and ultimately decided that Gi-hun’s sacrifice should carry a heavier meaning.

«I thought it was more fitting for Gi-hun to send this powerful and impactful message to the world,» Hwang explained, adding that the darker ending was meant to reflect the urgent sacrifices needed in today’s world to secure a better future.

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Audience reactions to the season 3 finale

It’s a choice that didn’t sit well with a big chunk of the Squid Game fanbase. Some felt the final twist betrayed Gi-hun’s character arc, especially after he spent two seasons suffering immense trauma and appearing to prioritize his family’s safety. Others found it too bleak and open-ended, sparking passionate discussions — and plenty of memes — online.

This isn’t the first time a Squid Game finale has stirred controversy. When Season 1 premiered in 2021, the series became a global phenomenon almost overnight, smashing Netflix records and turning its bleak social commentary into must-watch television. But even then, the final episodes left fans divided.

Now, Hwang’s ending is fueling speculation about whether the show’s final season will actually set up for a US spin-off show. 

Talk of a possible US spin-off

Hwang emphasized that Cate Blanchett’s surprise cameo as an American recruiter in the Los Angeles finale wasn’t meant to set up a future spin-off, but rather to underline a broader thematic point. He clarified to The Hollywood Reporter that he «didn’t end it on that note in order to deliberately leave room for further stories to happen,» explaining that the storyline for Gi‑hun and the Front Man in Korea truly came to a close. 

He said that the American recruiter scene was crafted to symbolize the enduring nature of capitalist systems.

That said, Hwang acknowledged rumors of a David Fincher–linked American version and said he’d watch it if it was made, but as of now, there’s no official confirmation from Netflix.

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