It garnered a lot of criticism upon the show’s release.
The director of Squid Games, Hwang Dong Hyuk, has addressed the final season’s controversial ending.
After the show was released, it was met with scathing reviews, especially for the ending.
“Squid Game 3” Ending Sparks A Wave Of Negative Reactions And Disgruntled Viewers
In the final scene, Hollywood star Cate Blanchett appeared and seemingly took on the role of the recruiter.
WDYM CATE BLANCHETT IS IN SQUID GAME S3 ?!?! pic.twitter.com/FUgdNqFa3Z
— Rina (@bbblanchett) June 27, 2025
It initially sparked huge criticism as many thought it was teasing a spin-off Squid Games USA that had been rumored, with fans saying that it went against the whole premise that the show was based on, anti-capitalism.
Squid Game choosing to promote the USA version of the show instead of using an actual ending #SquidGame pic.twitter.com/aDrWb6jE1k
— josh.r (@tjpr_34) June 27, 2025
squid game started with such meaning and as a huge anti-capitalism movement then grew as a cash cow for netflix and ended its last season promoting a squid game usa version as a way to make them even more money from a story that should’ve ended on season 1… we’ll never win pic.twitter.com/t42sqbtxhK
— raf (@zoeyduatch) June 28, 2025
The director explained that initially, there had been an ending considered where the main character Seong Gi Hun (played by Lee Jung Jae) stayed alive and saw Cate Blanchett and another “recruiting” figure in the US, but as the ending was decided, there was no alternative motive. He added that it was meant to show that, although one person’s effort brought the Korean game to an end, the system itself remains strong and does not easily collapse, rather than an American version.
He even added that he had heard the rumors about the spin-off, but it was based on rumors.
It’s completely unfounded. It seems to be based on rumors. I haven’t heard anything about it officially—just what I’ve read in articles. I don’t know how much of it, if any, is true—whether it’s supposedly filming in December, that I’m directing it, that Cate Blanchett is in it, that David Fincher is directing… none of it has any basis in fact.
— Hwang Dong Hyuk
You can read more about the series below.
“Squid Game 3” Receives Scathing Reviews From Press
