As Squid Game returns for its third and final season, the global phenomenon continues to make history. Since its debut in 2021, the South Korean dystopian thriller has broken multiple Netflix and industry records.
The show made headlines early on when it became the most viewed non-English series on Netflix in a single week. Between September 27 and October 3, 2021, it logged an unprecedented 571.76 million viewing hours.
It also achieved the most-watched debut for a Netflix Original. Within its first month of release, Squid Game reached 142 million subscriber households, marking it as the most successful series launch in the platform’s history at the time.
The series topped the Netflix charts in 97 countries, surpassing Bridgerton as the most popular show on the platform globally.
In addition to its streaming success, the show made a mark at the Emmys. Lead actor Lee Jung-jae became the first performer to win an Emmy for a non-English-language role, taking home Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series at the 74th Primetime Emmy Awards in 2022. The series itself also became the first non-English-language production to earn a nomination for Outstanding Drama Series.
Season 2, released in 2024, proved just as popular. It was viewed 68 million times in its first week and reached the number one spot in 92 countries.
With the final season now streaming and a dramatic conclusion expected, Squid Game may still break more records before its story ends.
