Is the 'Squid Game' Reality Show Rigged? Producers Respond to Accusations From Contestants
The new reality series Squid Game: The Challenge just debuted on Netflix and it has faced some controversy for the past year ever since the show was filmed in January 2023.
Contestants spoke out and claimed that the show was rigged, with some under the belief that the show was scripted with storylines figured out in advance.
“I started to realize, this was never a game I could win,” a participant told Vice. “I’m not a contestant, I’m an extra.”
Even though the opening challenge “Red Light, Green Light” was supposed to take place over the course of just five minutes, contestants claim that it actually was an all-day ordeal with some saying they were in the freezing cold hangar for up to 15 hours.
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“People broke their lease to be on this show,” a participant told Vice. “People quit their jobs. That’s the part to me that was sad. They made it seem like we all truly had a fair shot to actually win this money. It was already scripted. They already knew the people they wanted in the next round. That’s the part to me that was f–ked up.”
There are multiple statements that were released by Netflix and the studios in response to the claims.
In response to the freezing cold conditions, Netflix said, “We care deeply about the health and safety of our cast and crew, and invested in all the appropriate safety procedures. While it was very cold on set — and participants were prepared for that — any claims of serious injury are untrue.”
Netflix, Studio Lambert and The Garden issued a joint statement to Vice in response to claims of the show being rigged.
“We care deeply about the health of our cast and crew, and the quality of this show. Any suggestion that the competition is rigged or claims of serious harm to players are simply untrue. We’ve taken all the appropriate safety precautions, including after care for contestants – and an independent adjudicator is overseeing each game to ensure it’s fair to everyone,” they said in response to the story.
Here’s what we know about season two of the Squid Game scripted drama series.