Overview

• Hwang Dong-hyuk says he abandoned his original happy ending during the writing process in favor of a bleaker conclusion
• The rewritten finale shifts the series’ focus toward moral stakes and ideological conflict over survival
• A surprise cameo by Cate Blanchett as a recruiter in Los Angeles hints at Squid Game’s expansion beyond South Korea
• Hwang confirms that Season 3 delivers a definitive closure to Gi-hun’s journey while preserving opportunities for spin-offs
• The finale’s darker tone reflects Hwang’s intent to mirror a bleak global reality and reinforce the story’s social allegory