Netflix’s Squid Game Reality Show Rigged?

Contestants from the Squid Game reality show have reported suspicious circumstances pointing to interference from production.

By Britta DeVore | Updated

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When we heard there would be a Squid Game-based reality show, there was obviously a cause for concern. With the brutal nature of the series, many were wondering how Netflix would bring its games to a safe arena and, while everyone walked away with their lives, many contestants are saying that the challenges were majorly rigged with some players receiving unfair advantages. In a recent piece published in Rolling Stone, several of those folks have stepped forward, voicing their outrage for how the competition was handled.

In the report, the unhappy ex-contestants claim that they saw first-hand accounts of certain players being given special treatment and possibly even being “pre-selected” to go on to the following rounds of the Squid Game reality show. Those that were alleged to have moved forward unfairly were specifically pointed out to be TikTok and Instagram influencers, who also happened to be “fully mic’d up,” while the claims state that the eliminated players were given “dummy microphones.” While many were axed following the very first game, the whistleblowers are saying that some of those who advanced didn’t successfully make it through the initial round. 

This story was corroborated by another participant who claimed that to extend one player’s specific storyline, they were given a go-ahead pass where others were cut. They say that they even caught production tossing a terminated player back into the challenges, adding that the Squid Game reality show was just that – “a TV show.” Rounding out their statement, the contestant likens themselves and a slew of others to “basically extras in a TV show” without having any real chance at taking home the grand prize. 

And, unfortunately for Netflix, things keep getting darker and more suspicious for their Squid Game reality show. Two of the losing players said that when they first received their airfare tickets, which were purchased by production, they were already set up for a round-trip journey with the plot thickening even more as their return date ended up being the very day after they were cut from the games. The claims continued to pour in with many folks saying they witnessed similar types of favoritism and rigging with players being cut and re-added or never eliminated at all after a clear loss. 

After making its way onto Netflix in the United States in the fall of 2021, Squid Game became an immediate sensation, breaking viewership records and drawing an incredible amount of attention to the major Korean names involved in the production. The series saw down-on-their-luck contestants battle head-to-head for the chance to win a tremendous amount of money but if you lose, you pay the ultimate price – your life. With the series being such a hit, it’s no shock that Netflix saw the dollar signs and quickly pushed forward with a Squid Game reality show.

While many jumped at the opportunity to be part of a real-life recreation of Squid Game, the reality show has been making headlines for all the wrong reasons. Prior to the latest claims of rigging and favoritism, contestants were coming forward to share horrifying experiences that included dangerous conditions. With all the drama, one thing is for sure – people will be excited to watch the hotly debated show for themselves, leaving Netflix with another winner on their hands.