How to Get Cast on Squid Game: The Challenge

Squid Game: The Challenge, which Netflix says is its “most ambitious unscripted show”, is a reality game show that sees 456 contestants, most of whom are American or British, go head-to-head in a series of tests made famous by the South Korean drama. Each contestant is given a number and a green tracksuit to wear. Familiar challenges include Red Light, Green Light, a Grandmother’s Footsteps–style game where players must race to a finish line but freeze each time a giant doll armed with a motion-sensor camera turns around; Marbles, where pairs challenge each other in a game of their own creation; and Dalgona, where players carve a predetermined shape into a brittle cookie. Series 1 of Squid Game: The Challenge also included several substitute games. Instead of Tug of War, where players fell en masse to their deaths, Squid Game: The Challenge included a life-size version of the board game Battleships.  

The reality show incorporates a number of additional tests of character, too, where players try to wrongfoot their fellow contestants but can end up drawing unwanted attention from the game’s masked guards. 

And with Squid Game: The Challenge crowned “the biggest reality competition ever”, the elimination process can be ruthless, with tens if not hundreds of players defeated each round.

Although there were reports of bad conditions on the set of Season 1, in particular complaints of filming in the cold, the reality show is safe to play as there are health and safety measures in place (and contestants are not really getting killed off!). Representatives for the show’s creators explain that the burst of ink that appears on contestants’ T-shirts looks “similar to being shot with a paintball gun, but in reality, an ink packet (also called a squib) was fastened under each player’s shirt before they started the game”. Each time a player was eliminated, “the squib bursts, indicating to the player that, without a doubt, their time in the game is over”.

The show has two lead casting directors: Erika Dobrin and Robyn Kass. The pair cast Season 1 and 2 of Squid Game: The Challenge, working with a team of talent scouts to whittle down 81,000 applicants to 456. Dobrin and Kass have teamed up again to cast the third batch of hopeful contestants.

Unlike the actual Squid Game – in which a recruiter targeted potential contestants and asked to play a game of Ddakji before handing them a mysterious business card if they won – you’ll have to apply with a formal application if you want to be cast in Squid Game: The Challenge. But, unlike many reality TV shows that have strict criteria for contestants, it’s relatively “parameter-free”. Contestants must be 21 or older, but beyond that, Dobrin and Kass say they’re searching for candidates who “have a great story” and “are deserving”. A red flag, apparently, are applicants who want to go on the show purely for the sake of playing.

For Dobrin and Kass, the main thing they want hopeful candidates to do is “come on and be themselves”. So they’re looking out for audition videos that seem authentic. “Show us, don’t tell us,” cautions Kass. Dobrin agrees, citing “I’m the life of the party!” and “I’m hilarious” as two overused phrases not to say. “I should be laughing at what you’re saying. You shouldn’t be telling me you’re hilarious because that’s not funny,” explains Kass.

The majority of the show’s 456 candidates are American or British, but the show casts globally. Season 1 was won by Player 287, Mai Whelan. Among other memorable candidates were mother-and-son duo LeAnn Wilcox Plutnicki and Trey Plutnicki.

To apply to Squid Game: The Challenge, visit the show’s official casting page and select whether you are applying from the US, the UK, or the global talent market. You will need to tick a series of boxes confirming you meet the eligibility requirements. 

Then, you’ll need to fill out an application form, supplying your: 

• Name
• Date of birth
• Nationality 
• Contact information

You will also be required to supply a headshot and a full-length shot; you have the option to submit up to three additional images of yourself. Further guidance for these photos is on the application form.

Finally, you’ll need to upload a one-minute video telling the casting team “about yourself, why you want to be on Squid Game: The Challenge, what your game plan would be and what you would do with a huge $4.56 million cash prize if you won”.

You will also need to specify whether you’re happy for your information to be held in Netflix’s contributor database for future seasons of the show or for other programmes Netflix shows you might be suitable for.

The deadline for Squid Game: The Challenge season three applications is 29 November 2025. 

Once your application has been submitted, casting associates will reach out if they think it could be a good fit. Next steps include Zoom meetings with the casting team and producers. Dobrin and Kass caution the casting process is a long one – and talking with the producers doesn’t mean getting on the show. There are also medical and psychological background tests that come before being offered a spot.

While contestants are not paid a salary for appearing on the game show, and only have a 1-in-456 chance of winning the bumper cash prize, there are benefits of taking part. Like any reality TV show with a sizable viewership, Squid Game: The Challenge can boost your public profile, especially if you’re a contestant the show focuses heavily on – ideal for actors and influencers hoping to become recognisable. If you are comfortable in a competitive environment, it could also prove great fun. Regardless, it’s an opportunity to push yourself out of your comfort zone, make friends, and have a memorable experience.