PCMag editors select and review products independently. If you buy through affiliate links, we may earn commissions, which help support our testing.

Netflix Turning 'Squid Game' Into a Reality TV Show (Minus the Murder)

The company launches a casting call for 'Squid Game: The Challenge,' which will involve 456 players vying for an almost $5 million cash prize.

 & Michael Kan Principal Reporter

Our team tests, rates, and reviews more than 1,500 products each year to help you make better buying decisions and get more from technology.

Our Expert
LOOK INSIDE PC LABS HOW WE TEST
65 EXPERTS
43 YEARS
41,500+ REVIEWS

Netflix is taking the hit Korean show Squid GameSquid Game and turning it into an English-based reality TV competition series. 

On Tuesday, the company announced an open casting call for English speakers across the globe to participate in Squid Game: The Challenge. The reality TV show will follow the same format as Squid Game, minus the murder, and give 456 players a chance to compete in a series of children’s games for a chance to win $4.56 million. 

The reality TV show promises to mirror the drama in the Korean series.

“As [players] compete through a series of games inspired by the original show—plus surprising new additions—their strategies, alliances, and character will be put to the test while competitors are eliminated around them,” Netflix said. “The stakes are high, but in this game the worst fate is going home empty-handed.

Netflix is producing a 10-episode season, which will be filmed in the UK. If you’re interested, you can go to SquidGameCasting.com and apply to be a contestant on the show, which requires uploading a 1-minute video about your strategy to win the game. 

The company announced the news mere days after greenlighting a second season of Squid Game, which is Netflix most-watched series. In the show, the fictional competition turns out to be deadly, forcing desperate players to kill each other in order to win a cash prize. 

Netflix is betting on the Squid Game franchise as it faces declining user growth and increased competition from other streaming providers. As a result, the company plans to crack down on password sharing and launch an ad-based plan to boost revenues.

About Our Expert

Michael Kan

Michael Kan

Principal Reporter

My Experience

I've been a journalist for over 15 years. I got my start as a schools and cities reporter in Kansas City and joined PCMag in 2017, where I cover satellite internet services, cybersecurity, PC hardware, and more. I'm currently based in San Francisco, but previously spent over five years in China, covering the country's technology sector.

Since 2020, I've covered the launch and explosive growth of SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet service, writing 600+ stories on availability and feature launches, but also the regulatory battles over the expansion of satellite constellations, fights with rival providers like AST SpaceMobile and Amazon, and the effort to expand into satellite-based mobile service. I've combed through FCC filings for the latest news and driven to remote corners of California to test Starlink's cellular service.

I also cover cyber threats, from ransomware gangs to the emergence of AI-based malware. In 2024 and 2025, the FTC forced Avast to pay consumers $16.5 million for secretly harvesting and selling their personal information to third-party clients, as revealed in my joint investigation with Motherboard.

I also cover the PC graphics card market. Pandemic-era shortages led me to camp out in front of a Best Buy to get an RTX 3000. I'm now following how the AI-driven memory shortage is impacting the entire consumer electronics market. I'm always eager to learn more, so please jump in the comments with feedback and send me tips.

The Best Tech I've Had:

  • My first video game console: a Nintendo Famicom
  • I loved my Sega Saturn despite PlayStation's popularity.
  • The iPod Video I received as a gift in college
  • Xbox 360 FTW
  • The Galaxy Nexus was the first smartphone I was proud to own.
  • The PC desktop I built in 2013, which still works to this day.

Read full bio