Dark Stories Behind Squid Game The Challenge

Dark Stories Behind Squid Game: The Challenge

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’ll be looking over the allegedly troubled and traumatic production that took place during “Squid Game: The Challenge.”

Based on Societal Greed

Perhaps the trouble with “Squid Game: The Challenge” can be traced back to its morally challenged inspiration. Based on the mega hit Korean survival drama that is Netflix’s “Squid Game,” this reality-competition spin-off centers around one thing: greed! Like the scripted series, we find numerous individuals fighting for money – at all costs. Ok, so unlike the fictional premise, the stakes aren’t life or death - but there are plenty of cold and calculated moves that need to be made in order to advance in the game. Essentially, the premise plays off our most desperate and nasty qualities.

A participant was even quoted in Rolling Stone magazine as saying that the whole experience was “the cruelest, meanest thing” they’ve ever been a part of. The show boasts a $4.56 million cash prize - the largest lump-sum cash prize in TV history. So, as Netflix proudly states in their advertising of the show, “the stakes are high, but in this game the worst fate is going home empty-handed.” It can be said that the premise alone set the contestants up for a nasty and cutthroat experience before the cameras even started rolling.

Inhumane Environment

Early on in the production, many reports made it apparent that things were not running smoothly during “Squid Game: The Challenge.” Turns out that the trauma contestants experienced weren’t just related to the rigors of the game itself, but rather the alleged inhumane filming conditions.

In speaking under anonymity with Variety, various contestants recounted a traumatizing experience while filming the famed Red Light, Green Light game. They say they were woken up at 3:30 a.m. to take a 2-hour trip to the filming location – a former Royal Air Force hangar. The temperature in this vast environment was said to be sub-freezing. Thankfully, participants were given coats to keep warm, along with thermal underwear and 2-pairs of socks. But, when it was time to film, everyone was instructed to remove their coats and leave their thin Squid Game jackets unzipped so audiences could see when their color packs exploded. Freezing from head to toe, one participant likened the experience of being in a human horse race – “where the horses were left out in the cold.”

Contestants provided forms from their doctors but were told that the shooting for this particular game would last around 2 hours. They were also told it would require holding poses for up to 2 minutes. However, filming Red Light, Green Light stretched past the 7-hour mark and poses had to be held for 10 to 15 minutes – with one going as long as 26 minutes. Participants did not sign up for an environmental competition series like “Survivor,” and were unprepared for the frigid conditions. Because the merciless temperature had nothing to do with the game, it left many contestants calling foul.

Oh, and did we mention water and bathroom breaks were not permitted during the entire filming of this game?

Injuries

As you might imagine, the cruel conditions participants were placed in led to several medical incidents. Reports from The Sun and Rolling Stone note that at least 10 individuals were injured during this first game. As Red Light, Green Light pressed on, players started to collapse - this from being required to stand still in the bitter cold. One participant recounted seeing a girl swaying in her pose and then buckling. She said she could actually hear her head hit the ground. She also recounted that while people were falling, a voice came over the speakers telling everyone to hold their positions because “the game is not paused.” This reportedly caused more people to drop.

There were also allegations that medics took a long time to reach players who had fallen because producers did not want camera shots to get ruined. Rolling Stone reported that, as a solution, “masked people in pink jumpsuits were sent out on the floor with black coffins and positioned themselves to block out the medics.” This supposedly took place while the rest of the contestants had to remain frozen in their poses.

However, Netflix has denied that the game resulted in any serious danger or injury. They stated, “we care deeply about the health and safety of our cast and crew and invested in all the appropriate safety procedures.” Several contestants disagree, with one saying, “it was the incompetencies of scale—they bit off more than they could chew.”

False Pretenses

The show has also come under fire for allegations that it was “skewed toward high-profile participants.” Contestants say that TikTok and Instagram influencers were the only ones fully mic’d up, while the vast majority of contestants were given “dummy” microphones. Not only that, but they also say those types of individuals often had rules “bent in their favor.” Netflix denies special treatment was given to anyone, but at least one participant says she simply felt like nothing more than an extra in a TV show.

Of course, the massive, not to mention historic, cash prize made many players giddy. Producers allegedly favored contestants who had a “whatever it takes” attitude to get the money. They are accused of wanting to focus on those who did not care about their health and safety. One angry player even said that, instead of “Squid Game,” the show should be called “Rigged Game.”

Lack of Accountability

Many contestants say they are most frustrated with Netflix's lack of accountability. The streamer’s soft response on the reported injuries did not sit well, with one ex-player saying that everyone was injured “just by going through the experience.” They also called out the show’s other co-producers, Studio Lambert and The Garden, for their lack of preparation and flexibility. One contestant says that Studio Lambert was actually exceptionally caring in the pre-production phase with plenty of communication and extensive background checks. But, she says, when the game started, that all changed, and she no longer felt cared for!

As for the celebrated fictional “Squid Game” series, a second season is still very much in the works at Netflix despite the dark production of its reality show spin-off.


What are your thoughts on Squid Game: The Challenge’s troubling allegations? Let us know in the comments below.