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Netflix slammed as Squid Game Season 3 ends with Cate Blanchett playing ddakji in Squid Game USA teaser: ‘Korean game in America?’

Netflix slammed as Squid Game Season 3 ends with Cate Blanchett playing ddakji in Squid Game USA teaser: ‘Korean game in America?’

Netflix is facing backlash after Squid Game Season 3 ended with Cate Blanchett playing ddakji in a teaser for the upcoming Squid Game USA. Fans accuse the platform of Westernizing the series and diluting its Korean roots.

Shivani NegiUpdated: Jun 29, 2025, 09:47 IST
7 min read

Netflix slammed as Squid Game finale sets up U.S. spin-off| Credit: Netflix

South Korean director Hwang Dong Hyuk’s Squid Game may have wrapped up, but the universe it created is far from over. The final episode of Squid Game Season 3 dropped a major twist, teasing Squid Game USA with a surprise cameo from Cate Blanchett as The Recruiter, stepping into the role originally played by Gong Yoo in the Korean survival thriller

Talks of a Squid Game spinoff, reportedly directed by David Fincher, first surfaced last year, and the Season 3 finale all but confirmed it. Now, even before Netflix could make anything official, the internet is already up in arms, as the spinoff faces fierce boycott calls online.

What do we know about Squid Game USA?

Squid Game USA is reportedly the upcoming U.S. spin-off teased in the Squid Game Season 3 finale, where Cate Blanchett appears as the new Recruiter in a Los Angeles alley, hinting at a Western version of the deadly competition.

Though Netflix hasn’t officially confirmed the series, multiple insider reports reveal that acclaimed director David Fincher is developing the project with British writer Dennis Kelly.

Unlike a simple remake, this spin-off is expected to explore America’s own socio-economic landscape through similarly brutal games, with creator Hwang Dong-hyuk likely involved in a supervisory role. Recent reports have suggested that the show will go into production in December this year.

Why are fans boycotting Squid Game USA already?

Fans are calling out Squid Game for what they see as a blatant Westernisation of the series, especially after Cate Blanchett’s surprise cameo in the Season 3 finale. In the final scene, Blanchett’s character is shown playing ddakji—a traditional Korean game—with a stranger in a Los Angeles alley. The moment, meant to tease the upcoming U.S. spin-off, quickly sparked backlash. Many pointed out that ddakji is culturally specific to Korea and unfamiliar to most Americans, questioning why an American version would still rely on Korean games. Some even argued that the U.S. doesn’t have its own iconic children’s games that carry the same weight or meaning.

Blanchett’s cameo has already triggered boycott calls online, with viewers accusing Netflix of diluting the show’s original message. “Squid Game started with such meaning as a huge anti-capitalism movement, then grew as a cash cow for Netflix and ended its last season promoting a Squid Game USA version as a way to make them even more money from a story that should’ve ended in season 1… We’ll never win,” one user wrote. Another added, “*Squid Game USA? And the teaser of them playing ddakji? I know it’s a franchise, but… playing a KOREAN game in the USA?”

One viewer shared, “I would be okay with introducing a whole ‘syndicate of Squid Game’ facilities idea, but ONLY if S3 ended with the total destruction of the Korean operation. Soldiers are either dead or arrested; In-Ho goes down with the ship. That sets up the USA show perfectly to jump off.”

“Calling it now, Squid Game USA is going to have so many A-listers that will inadvertently ruin it. Already ruined the teaser with Cate Blanchett in LA playing a Korean kid’s game, Ddakji!?!,” predicted another user.

Squid Game Season 3 ending disappoints fans

The backlash against Squid Game USA comes at a time when fans are already grappling with the polarising ending of the original series starring Lee Jung Jae and Lee Byung Hun. Many viewers called it a lacklustre conclusion to a show that once held immense promise, criticising the decision to kill off the lead character and crown a baby as the winner. For some, it felt like a rushed wrap-up that ignored the emotional weight and character arcs built over three seasons.

However, others defended the finale, arguing that unpredictability is exactly what defines Squid Game. Several fans pointed out that the show was never about heroes or clear narratives but was a brutal reflection of life, where death is random and no one is guaranteed survival.