Netflix Squid Game Season 3 Review: Release Time, Plot Twists & Fan Buzz

Netflix Squid Game Season 3 premieres June 27, 2025! Get exact USA/Canada release times and see how fans are reacting to the new final season of this hit series.

Netflix Squid Game Season 3 has finally arrived, and fans in the USA and Canada are buzzing. All 6 episodes of the final season drop together on June 27, 2025, with one early review calling the opening “chilling” as Player 456 (Gi-hun) returns in a coffin. Viewers are asking what time it’s out, who’s back, and how this chapter compares to Season 2. Here’s the latest on Netflix Squid Game Season 3 – from release times to plot teasers and fan reactions – with everything verified by official sources.

What Time Does Netflix Squid Game Season 3 Come Out in the USA and Canada?

Fans across North America have circled June 27, 2025 on their calendars. Netflix confirmed Squid Game Season 3 premieres globally on that date. In practical terms, USA and Canadian viewers can start watching on Friday, June 27 at midnight Pacific Time (3 a.m. Eastern). This means East Coast fans will likely be up very early – or staying up late – to binge the new episodes as soon as they arrive.

• Release Date: Netflix Squid Game Season 3 goes live on June 27, 2025.
• USA/Canada Time: All episodes drop at 12:00 a.m. PT / 3:00 a.m. ET on June 27.
• Episode Count: There are 6 episodes in Season 3 – the shortest season yet.

According to Netflix’s schedule, Squid Game Season 3 is being released all at once (not split into parts). The Economic Times notes “Netflix will release all episodes of Squid Game Season 3 at the same time”, so North American viewers get the full story immediately. In short, set your alarm for June 27!

Netflix Squid Game Season 3 Review: Is It Better Than Season 2?

Early reactions suggest that Season 3 continues the high production values and brutal excitement that made Squid Game a global hit. The new episodes pick up right after Season 2’s finale: Gi-hun’s bid to end the games ended in betrayal and heartbreak, and now he returns to the arena. Creator Hwang Dong-hyuk promises an even darker tone this season. As The Guardian reports, Hwang says “the tone is going to be more dark and bleak” – fitting for a final chapter.

• Direct Continuation: Season 3 resumes immediately after Season 2’s cliffhanger. The Tudum site explains that the Front Man’s betrayal (killing Gi-hun’s friend Jung-bae) left Gi-hun “overwhelmed with a profound sense of defeat”.
• Final Showdown: Both Gi-hun and the Front Man face their climaxes. Official synopses confirm Gi-hun will return to the game and push to stop it, even as the Front Man continues his deadly agenda.
• Tone and Stakes: Early clips (and fan commentary) emphasize how much more intense this season feels. Netflix’s sneak-peek wastes no time showing a terrified dorm and traumatized players. One media write-up notes Season 3 “sets the stage for a darker, deadlier return” than before. In other words, if Season 2 dialed brutality up to 11, Season 3 might be on 12.

It’s too early for final judgment, but these hints suggest Netflix Squid Game Season 3 is likely to satisfy fans who loved Season 2’s intensity. The shorter 6-episode run means the pacing should be tight, so viewers shouldn’t expect any slow stretch. Overall, if you enjoyed the high stakes of Season 2, Season 3 seems poised to keep that energy going – perhaps pushing the series even further.

Netflix Squid Game Season 3 Release Date Countdown: How Long We Waited

Netflix first revealed that the third season would be its last, and fans have been counting down ever since. After Season 2 concluded in late 2023, the official announcement came in mid-2024 that a “post-Christmas” return was planned. Teasers and trailers trickled out leading up to the big drop. According to reports, filming wrapped in June 2024 after being shot back-to-back with Season 2, so Season 3 was ready to roll.

• Countdown Details: Netflix and media outlets built excitement by confirming the June 27 release. A “Final Games” trailer premiered just days before launch, promising a cinematic finale.
• Episodes Overview: We now know Season 3 has 6 episodes total – fewer than Season 2’s 7. The Economic Times pointed out that this makes Season 3 the shortest season so far, with all six airing at once.
• Final Season: Netflix and creator statements have stressed this is the last chapter. So fans have been eagerly speculating how long each episode will be and what loose ends will be tied up by the finale. In a way, everyone can now stop counting down – it’s finally here
  

Netflix Official – Tudum

• URL: https://www.netflix.com/tudum/squid-game-season-3
• Use it in: Plot breakdown, creator quotes, and official season preview
• Anchor Text: official Netflix Squid Game Season 3 guide

Netflix Squid Game Season 3 Plot: What’s New in the Game?

. Season 3 picks up immediately after Season 2’s showdown. The masked Front Man (Lee Byung-hun) is still running the games, and he’s shown to be as menacing as ever in the new images. For example, Netflix’s promotional pictures show him interacting with the pink gift-wrapped coffin — a chilling callback to how Season 2 ended. According to director Hwang Dong-hyuk, we’ll see “how Gi-hun returns to the game arena and faces the challenges ahead”. In short, Gi-hun has no choice but to dive back into the brutal competition.

The cast list confirms many familiar faces are back. Lee Jung-jae (Gi-hun) and Lee Byung-hun (Front Man) lead the way, but others return too – Wi Ha-jun (Jun-ho), Kang Ha-neul (Dae-ho), and Park Sung-hoon (Hyun-ju) among them. New images tease that Kang No-eul (Park Gyu-young), the detective-turned-player, is back in the arena. In Season 2 she was a key ally to Gi-hun, so viewers are curious how she’ll fit into this finale. Also back are Kang Ae-sim (Geum-ja) and Jo Yu-ri (Jun-hee), suggesting Team Player-456 is united again. The plot synopsis suggests many of these familiar characters will make difficult choices, and each surviving player’s actions will have serious consequences.

. Early previews hint at what the players are facing. The first six minutes of the new season show Gi-hun actually arriving in a coffin, startling the survivors. Economic Times reports that the dormitory is tense and “survivors are visibly shaken” by his return. We see that only 60 players remain, and distrust is brewing among them (Dae-ho, for instance, looks traumatized by past games). Meanwhile, the Front Man’s decisions appear even more calculating and cruel. One fan quote captured by media said Gi-hun is “no longer fighting to end the games — just to escape his suffering”, indicating his state of mind. All this builds to the central conflict: Gi-hun vs. the Game’s organizers in a final, high-stakes showdown. With the plot continuing directly from the prior finale, viewers can expect emotional payoffs and closure as Netflix Squid Game Season 3 brings the story to its conclusion.

What the Creators of Squid Game Said About the Final Season

Series creator Hwang Dong-hyuk and the Netflix team have been relatively tight-lipped, but hints from interviews and official updates are clear. Hwang told The Guardian that Season 3 will be extremely dark: “the tone is going to be more dark and bleak”, reflecting his view of a world with “less hope” as he put it. This matches the stark preview scenes fans have seen.

Netflix’s Tudum site provides a more plot-focused glimpse. It explicitly states that Season 3 follows the devastating end of Season 2: Gi-hun is “overwhelmed with a profound sense of defeat” after losing his friend Jung-bae, and now he must re-enter the arena. Hwang explains that we will “see how Gi-hun returns to the game arena and faces the challenges ahead”. In other words, the creators confirm that Gi-hun’s journey of guilt and revenge is the season’s core.

In summary, everything from Hwang’s interviews to Netflix’s official guides emphasizes that Squid Game Season 3 will wrap up Gi-hun’s story in a gritty way. Don’t expect a happy-go-lucky tone – this is meant to be the bloody, anticapitalist finale that Squid Game fans have built up for years.

How Fans in the USA and Canada Reacted to the News

Fans have been all over social media since the Season 3 announcement and premiere. Trending hashtags like #SquidGameSeason3 and #SquidGameFinal began circulating on Twitter and Instagram in the USA and Canada as soon as Netflix released teasers. Many North American fans joked about whether they’d need to set alarms for 3 a.m. ET to start watching the moment it dropped.

When Netflix released a six-minute sneak peek on June 26, fans on Reddit and X (Twitter) were “already reeling” at how intense the opening looks. One report notes that viewers on forums were “struck by the emotional weight” – commenting on the gunshots and Gi-hun’s trauma in the scene. Fan posts specifically pointed out that Gi-hun appears utterly broken; one observed he seems “no longer fighting to end the games — just to escape his suffering”. In short, the reaction in North American fan communities matches the global sentiment: people are fascinated, excited, and a bit terrified about how hard this season will hit.

For context, this passion isn’t surprising. The Guardian highlights that Squid Game became “one of the defining cultural products of the 2020s,” with its first two seasons setting Netflix viewership records worldwide. Many viewers in the USA and Canada fell in love with the show’s mix of thrilling games and social commentary, so they’re deeply invested now that it’s concluding. Creator Hwang even admitted the series was only meant to be one season originally, but it continued “because it was met with so much love from across the world”. That global love includes fans right here in North America, who have been eagerly sharing theories, memes, and hopes for Season 3 on every platform.

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Comparing Season 2 vs. Season 3: Is the Hype Real?

It’s natural for fans to compare the seasons. Season 2 expanded the world beyond the island and introduced high-tech games; Season 3 is more focused on final confrontations. One concrete difference: episode count. Squid Game Season 3 has only 6 episodes, making it even shorter than Season 2 (which had 7). This suggests a tighter narrative arc – no filler games.

• Shorter Run: As noted, Season 3’s 6 episodes will need to wrap up all story threads. By contrast, Season 2 had an extra episode and spent time introducing new characters.
• Continued Story: Unlike Season 2 (which partially rebooted after Season 1), Season 3 directly continues Gi-hun’s quest. Tudum’s synopsis confirms that all the chaos from Season 2 is immediately on the table.
• Brutality and Tone: Early reports imply Season 3 may even up the stakes on violence. The first scenes alone include Gi-hun in a coffin and very vicious gameplay. In other words, Season 3 looks to push the boundaries just as much as – if not more than – Season 2.
• Finality: Season 3 is explicitly billed as the final season. That alone changes the hype: every twist or death is final. Season 2 ended with a mid-credits surprise hint, whereas Season 3 must provide true closure.

So far, fans seem to think Season 3’s hype is justified. Social media chatter (in the USA and Canada) reflects that people expect Season 3 to be leaner and more intense. One stream of Reddit discussions points out that the early preview feels “unbearably dark” and notes characters are visibly traumatized. All this has viewers speculating that Season 3 could surpass Season 2 in sheer emotional impact. Time will tell, but the early signs suggest Netflix Squid Game Season 3 is living up to – or even raising – the bar set by its predecessor.

When Will Netflix Drop Squid Game Season 3 Part 2 (If Any)?

Good news for binge-watchers: Squid Game Season 3 won’t be split into parts. Netflix confirmed (and news outlets report) that all six episodes are released at once on June 27. There is no separate “Part 2” in the pipeline – this is it for the storyline. The Economic Times explicitly notes that “Netflix will release all episodes of Squid Game Season 3 at the same time.”, so there’s no reason to wait beyond that date. Once June 27 arrives, the final episodes will be there in full.

If you see any rumors about a later drop of additional episodes – ignore them. The show’s official FAQ even states the full season is launching together. In short, mark your calendars for June 27, because once it hits, Squid Game Season 3 is fully out and the story is complete.

So, Netflix Squid Game Season 3 Is Here – Will You Survive This Season?

In the end, the truth is clear: Netflix Squid Game Season 3 is real, streaming now, and it’s definitely the final showdown for Gi-hun and the others. No key characters have been “killed off” in rumors – the only thing killing is the games. Gi-hun is alive (as shown in trailers) and back in the fight, the Front Man is plotting, and every veteran player is in for one last ride.

All our sources – from Netflix’s own site to news reports – confirm the facts: Season 3 arrived on time (June 27) with all episodes at once. The hype and fan theories are part of the excitement, but they’re based on the official story laid out by the creators. Now it’s up to you to watch and decide who survives the final games.

What do you think will happen in Squid Game Season 3? Share your predictions and reactions below. We’d love to hear if you’re watching right at 3 a.m. or planning a marathon binge. Let us know, and don’t forget to share this post with fellow fans who want the inside scoop on Netflix Squid Game Season 3!