A new Squid Game: The Challenge trailer teases the return of the creepy robot girl from the hit Netflix series. The upcoming reality competition features 456 contestants from around the world competing for $4.56 million.
As reported by Variety, Squid Game: The Challenge‘s description reads, “Though the reality version of Squid Game isn’t a matter of life or death, there’s still a lot on the line. Four hundred fifty-six players will compete to win $4.56 million, the largest cash prize in reality television history. Through a series of games, each player will be pushed to their limits and forced to ask themselves just how far they’ll go to win, with opportunistic alliances, cutthroat strategies and timely betrayals to follow.”
Contestants Reported “Inhumane” Conditions on Squid Game: The Challenge Set
Earlier this year, Variety reported that several Squid Game: The Challenge contestants came forward with allegations of “inhumane” conditions on the set. The report reads, “Contestants — who weren’t paid to participate in the series — say they were told the actual game would take roughly two hours to play and shoot, but instead that turned into an almost seven-hour ordeal for some contenders. All of this was carried out in an unforgiving U.K. cold snap that saw temperatures drop to zero degrees Celsius in Bedford on the day of filming. A number of contestants collapsed on set — likely due to a combination of cold and fatigue from the eight hours of prep time before the game even started.”
“This is not a Bear Grylls survival show,” said one contestant. “If they had told us it was going to be that cold, no one would have gone through with it.”
Netflix responded quickly with a statement: “We care deeply about the health of our cast and crew, and the quality of this show. Any suggestion that the competition is rigged or claims of serious harm to players are simply untrue. We’ve taken all the appropriate safety precautions, including after care for contestants – and an independent adjudicator is overseeing each game to ensure it’s fair to everyone.”
In Squid Game: The Challenge, contestants compete in a series of challenges based on games featured on the actual show. One contestant in the trailer says, “$4.56 million? People do a whole lot worse for a whole lot less.” Netflix did not pay contestants for appearing in the competition.
Squid Game: The Challenge debuts on Netflix on November 22. A second season of the original Squid Game scripted series is in the works.