Squid Game 2 is Netflix’s third most-watched series after season 1 and US comedy Wednesday

The sequel to Netflix’s most successful series of all time clocked 165.7 million views in under four weeks, overtaking Stranger Things

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Lee Jung-jae as Seong Gi-hun in a still from Squid Game 2, now the third most-watched Netflix series. Photo: No Ju-han/Netflix

Published: 10:41am, 23 Jan 2025Updated: 10:42am, 23 Jan 2025

Less than a month after its release, the second season of Squid Game has already become the third most successful series in Netflix history, beaten only by season one and the US comedy horror series Wednesday.

In the latest weekly charts (January 13 to 19), published on January 21, season two of the South Korean series collected another 13.2 million watches to overtake sci-fi series Stranger Things with 165.7 million views in just 3½ weeks.

The first season of the brutal South Korean drama about children’s games with a deadly twist was praised for its social criticism, tackling issues of social inequality, discrimination and the power of the elite.

Creator Hwang Dong-hyuk recently put its global success down to its relatability. This is “a story that people can identify with – no matter what language, culture, religion or ethnicity”, he said.

South Korean director and Squid Game creator Hwang Dong-hyuk says the series’ story is so popular because people can identify with it. Photo: AFP

The seven new episodes (between 50 and 75 minutes long) went online on December 26. Netflix is set to release the show’s third and final season later in 2025.