Squid Game: The Challenge sees Netflix’s smash hit Korean drama get the real-life treatment, as hundreds of contestants compete for the chance to win the multi-million dollar prize. Despite the show giving the appearance of fairness, former contestants have claimed that the show was “cruel” and “rigged”, with contestants being removed from the contest for no reason, and pre-selected contestants getting through rounds. Find out more…
According to Rolling Stone Magazine, the 456 contestants were met with their first challenge during the filming of the first challenge, Red Light, Green Light. Fans of the original show will know that the task involves the contestants running from one side of the room to the other while stopping and standing still when an oversized doll turns around to watch them. In the reality show, the contestants have to play dead after pellets explode – but according to some of the former players, it wasn’t a fair fight.
Four players came forward, claiming that the Red Light, Green Light game was filmed for over nine hours in very cold conditions, and that they occasionally had to stay frozen for 30 minutes while medics helped those struggling with the freezing temperature.
They also claimed that several contestants, who were social media influencers, wore real microphones, while most of the contestants wore fake ones – and that one person eliminated in the competition was placed back in the game. They said: “It really wasn’t a game show. It was a TV show, and we were basically extras in a TV show.”
Another person said: “Instead of Squid Game, [they] are calling it ‘Rigged Game.’ Instead of Netflix, they’re calling it ‘Net Fix,’ because it was clearly obvious.”
They also claimed that some contestants already had return flights booked from production, and in one particular moment, several contestants who had already made it through the Red Light, Green Light part of the competition had their blood packs go off, and were told that they were eliminated from the show despite making it past the finish line in time.
Another person told Vice: “People broke their lease to be on this show. People quit their jobs. That’s the part to me that was sad. They made it seem like we all truly had a fair shot to actually win this money. It was already scripted. They already knew the people they wanted in the next round. That’s the part to me that was [expletive] up.”
Netflix and studios The Garden and Studio Lambert responded, saying: “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.”