Squid Game season 1

Squid Game
Season 1
Promotional poster
Showrunner	Hwang Dong-hyuk
Starring	Lee Jung-jae Park Hae-soo O Yeong-su Wi Ha-joon HoYeon Jung Heo Sung-tae Anupam Tripathi Kim Joo-ryoung
No. of episodes	9
Release
Original network	Netflix
Original release	September 17, 2021 (2021-09-17)
Season chronology
Next → Season 2
List of episodes

The first season of the South Korean dystopian survival thriller horror television series Squid Game was created for television by Korean writer and television producer Hwang Dong-hyuk. It was released on Netflix on September 17, 2021.

The season stars Lee Jung-jae, Park Hae-soo, O Yeong-su, Wi Ha-joon, HoYeon Jung, Heo Sung-tae, Anupam Tripathi and Kim Joo-ryoung. It revolves around a secret contest where 456 players, all of whom are in deep financial hardship, risk their lives to play a series of deadly children's games for the chance to win a ₩45.6 billion cash prize, ₩100 million per contestant.

The season was released worldwide on September 17, 2021, to critical acclaim and international attention. It became Netflix's most-watched series and the most-watched program in 94 countries, attracting more than 142 million member households and 1.65 billion viewing hours in its first four weeks, surpassing Bridgerton as the service's most-watched show. It received numerous accolades, including a Golden Globe Award for O, and Screen Actors Guild Awards for Lee and Jung, respectively; all three were also the first Korean actors to win in those categories. The first season received 14 Primetime Emmy Award nominations, including for Outstanding Drama Series, making it the first non-English-language work to be nominated in this category; Lee won for Outstanding Lead Actor, the first for an Asian actor in a non-English part.

The second season was released in December 2024, with the third and final season set to release in 2025.