Season 2 of Netflix’s biggest ever TV show is just over a week away

Great news for (patient) fans of dystopian Korean TV shows: over three years after the first season debuted, we’re now just over one week out from the follow-up to Netflix’s ultra-popular “Squid Game” series.

Hype for season 2, which will see Player 456 return to the high-stakes survival game, has grown ever since the first season dropped, with millions eager to tune back in to Netflix’s most-watched show of all time. At the time of writing, season 1 has been viewed more than 265 million times (~2.2 billion hours watched), while the first season of “Wednesday” has racked up 252 million views. 

While the runaway success of “Squid Game” puts the series in a league of its own — having spawned a spin-off game show, helped MrBeast become the biggest YouTuber of all time, and played a pivotal role in the booming wave of Korean cultural exports — it’s not the only non-English show to make a splash, as Netflix continues to look beyond North America.

With other hits like “Money Heist,” just three seasons of which have racked up over 285 million views between them, and “Lupin” catching on massively across Netflix’s many international markets, it’s little wonder that Netflix has doubled down on international TV and films.

According to Ampere Analysis data cited by Variety, the streamer spent $7.1 billion on international content in 2024, up 7x in just seven years, a clear sign of just how deeply Netflix’s focus has shifted toward making content for local audiences overseas that can be also be exported globally with subtitles or dubbed audio. The bet has paid off handsomely, too, as Reed Hastings’ company extends its lead over competitors like Disney+ and adds subscribers in every region.

Interestingly, Netflix’s Q4 report in January 2025 will mark the last quarter that the company will report subscriber figures for (bad news for chart makers), but at least you can binge season 3 of “Squid Game,” which is also slated for next year.