Squid Game is the most-watched series on the Netflix platform worldwide. It won several accolades, including one Golden Globe and six Primetime Emmy awards. The series is a South Korean dystopian survival drama that gained popularity among the audience. Is Squid Game based on a true story? A debate about the topic persists in the entertainment world today, largely due to its storyline and themes. This is because many viewers still think that the series drew inspiration from real stories, and the emotional core is grounded in reality.
Is Squid Game based on a true story?
Many viewers who watched Squid Game on Netflix claimed that it was developed by the creator based on real-life events. This is because the series took inspiration from a real-life event that happened in South Korea, which turned extremely violent. Is Squid Game based on a true story? Sources reveal that the director of the series was directly inspired by the SsangYong Motor Strike event. Some of the incidents in the event were reflected in the game, which became a huge hit later.
What is Squid Game?
Most game enthusiasts like to know what is Squid Game, a television series streamed on the Netflix platform. It is a South Korean survival drama packed with deadly children’s games, and the first season was released on September 17, 2021. The second season of the Squid Game series was released on December 24, 2024. In this game, a squid-shaped map is drawn on the ground, and the players are divided into two teams.
While one team is the defender, the other team is the attacker. A defending team’s player makes their way to the head of the squid following the map on the ground while the attacking players try to stop them. Those who succeed in the game will get a point for their respective team.
Was Squid Game based on a true story?
Squid Games involves several kid-friendly games where the main protagonist has to compete with 455 different players who are all having serious financial problems. The winner will get an enormous amount of money. Was Squid Game based on a true story? Yes, it was partially inspired by the SsangYong Motor layoffs in 2009, which resulted in a 77-day-long strike that led to violent and fiery clashes with the police.
The SsangYong Motor strike inspired Squid Game’s main protagonist in the storyline. At the same time, the creator of the series revealed that the game took inspiration from Japanese comics and animations such as the Liar games and Battle Royale.
What is Squid Game in real life?
As for Squid Game’s broader themes, the creator of the series explained that they are based on modern capitalism and financial struggles. What is Squid Game in real life? The series depicts the extreme competition of life with a focus solely on survival and human drama.
Here are some of the most prevalent issues brought to the forefront by the game.
1. Household debt
South Korea ranks as one of the countries with the highest household debt in the world. The competitors in Squid Game are allowed to determine whether they want to participate or not.
2. Wealth gap
At the end of the game, the host becomes a rich man so he and other people with too much money could have some amusement. It illustrates the heartless nature of capitalism taken to extremes, which results in a wealth gap.
3. Discrimination
Discrimination occurs everywhere based on gender, country, ethnicity, age, and other factors. The Squid Game involves several characters that come from diverse backgrounds, which surround the main character.
4. Economic inequality
The game highlights a hyper-competitive economic system where only a few can succeed at the expense of others. The series also advocates how systematic inequalities trap people in a poverty cycle.
5. Gambling addiction
The main protagonist in Squid Game experiences pressure from loan sharks, and his financial woes strain his relationships with his ex-wife and daughter. His desperation forces him to participate in deadly games, hoping to clear his debts. It even showcases how gambling addiction affects unemployed people.
6. Trust, betrayal, and human interactions
Trust becomes a precious commodity in the game, and it is often exploited for personal gain when players navigate life-or-death scenarios. The show portrays how bonds can break quickly under pressure.
How has Squid Game season 3 ended?
The third and final season of Squid Game was launched on July 27, 2025, with only 6 episodes. It is the only season that has few episodes, and the main protagonist dies at the end to protect his baby and establish that humans are not animals like horses to bet on.
What will players do in the Squid Game?
Participants in Squid Game should wear green tracksuits, and there will be a Black man who is in charge of directing them. He is clad in a black mask and black outfit. The players are always under the surveillance of pink jumpsuit-clad guards wearing masks. They should keep in mind that losing a match results in death. Each death raises the potential ₩45.6 billion grand prize by ₩100 million.
What happens in Squid Game?
Seong Gi-Hun is the main character who plays the protagonist in Squid Game. He is a divorced man who lives with his elderly mother, and he is invited to play several kid-friendly games to win a huge prize amount. Seong forms an alliance with other players, such as his childhood friend Cho Sang-woo and North Korean defector Kang Sae-byeok.
They want to survive the physical and mental twists of the games. Hwang Jun-ho, a detective, enters the game later to find Seong’s missing brother. Furthermore, the game involves many other characters, which makes it more interesting to watch.
Conclusion
Netflix’s Squid Game is a successful series with lots of twists and turns. Is Squid Game based on a true story? The creator of the series revealed that he took inspiration partly from the SsangYong Motor Strike event in 2009. He also took inspiration from Japanese comics and animations to attract more viewers.
