Following its rapid rise to the top of Netflix's charts, the streaming service is apparently looking into developing a Squid Game video game. Netflix has already announced plans to venture into gaming, so a Squid Game video game is likely rising to the top of the company's priorities as it attempts to cement itself as a worthy game developer/publisher.
Earlier this year, Netflix confirmed it will be making video games, seemingly starting with mobile titles. All games will be added to the service at no extra cost, but no games have been announced. It's unclear if Netflix will be adding third-party games, but it has already begun working on first-party titles with the recently acquired Night School Studio, the developer behind Oxenfree. Given this is very early days, it'll likely be a while before Netflix makes any huge waves in the gaming industry, but it certainly has the IP to compete with the likes of Xbox and PlayStation.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Netflix's VP of content for the Asia-Pacific, Minyoung Kim, noted the company is looking to expand on the Squid Game IP in a big way. Netflix is "looking at" developing a Squid Game video game, but it's likely nothing has been decided yet. Fans of the show have already incorporated Squid Game into games like GTA Online and Animal Crossing, so there's clearly demand for a playable version of the beloved series. That said, the show could be several seasons in before an official video game actually happens given how long it takes for games to be developed.
"My team’s role is to really look at all of those opportunities together, to create that roadmap for the Squid Game IP. We are looking at multiple different areas — from games, consumer product and others — to really figure out what we can bring to our audiences to increase their affinity toward our content and give them more joy, while staying true to the world that our creator has built."
Although Netflix's gaming plans are sparse, fans can likely expect a Squid Game mobile title in the future. Whether a proper AAA console game will ever release for the IP remains to be seen, but it seems like something that would do well in the current battle royale/party games zeitgeist. Squid Game has already been compared to Fall Guys, so perhaps some sort of crossover DLC could spawn from the fan frenzy.
Nonetheless, a Squid Game seems inevitable. Netflix has already made games based on Stranger Things and Narcos, though they were rather low budget. There's also the chance the streamer will once again embrace the experimental choose your own adventure format that it has used for Black Mirror to try and tell a spin-off story within the Squid Game universe.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter