“The stakes are high, but in this game the worst fate is going home empty-handed,” the Netflix press release for “Squid Game: The Challenge” read. As it turns out, however, the specific way the vast majority of contestants went home empty-handed warrants a bit of a closer look. On the surface, at least, the implications are rather damning.
Although every member of the game show was required to sign non-disclosure agreements, many spoke off the record and under the cover of anonymity in order to expose the Netflix production as a breeding ground for, as one explained, “the cruelest, meanest thing I’ve ever been through.” But as poorly-managed as the work environment could allegedly be at points, many contestants were outright dismayed by the appearance of favoritism and partiality shown towards some over others. In separate reports by both Rolling Stone and The Wrap, sources alleged that the popular “Red Light, Green Light” challenge was plagued by supremely suspicious antics. As a group of contestants made their way to the finish line, roughly 20 were wrongfully eliminated despite finishing the challenge with 38 seconds to spare. This, combined with witnesses describing other eliminated contestants being added back to the game while others were unfairly given extra time to finish, resulted in many of the eliminated demanding to see the camera footage that supposedly confirmed their fates. These requests were denied by Netflix.
Adding insult to injury, many that spoke to reporters also accused the production of giving preferential treatment to more high-profile contestants, such as TikTok and Instagram influencers with large followings. According to one, “It really wasn’t a game show. It was a TV show, and we were basically extras in a TV show.”