Netflix to make ‘Squid Game’ video game accessible to non-subscribers
In an exciting deviation from its usual strategy, Netflix has announced the upcoming Squid Game: Unleashed video game will be available free to non-subscribers for a limited time.
The move was announced at The Game Awards on December 12th, ahead of the game’s release on December 17th. At the ceremony, the streaming giant also debuted new material from the show’s much-anticipated second season, which drops on December 26th.
Squid Game: Unleashed is expected to be free on the release date, and Netflix has confirmed this availability will be for a limited time. However, there has been no confirmation on exactly how long that period will be, with Variety only able to confirm the game will be free up to at least the Boxing Day debut of season two. It will be like other Netflix games, featuring no in-app purchases or advertisements.
Netflix’s official description of the game reads, “Prepare for fast, heart-pounding action and brutal competition in this multiplayer battle royale game. Play with friends – or enemies – online and see if you have what it takes to outlast and defeat all the other contestants in each twisted tournament. With deadly challenges pulled from the series and more new games inspired by classic childhood activities, each round is a dark trip down memory lane. Can you make it through playtime alive?”
Netflix Games president Alain Tascan stated, “Squid Game is Netflix’s most-watched series ever, and we want everyone around the world to be able to take part in its return by making Unleashed available to everyone, which is a first for Netflix Games. Squid Game: Unleashed is all about playing with -or against – your friends in the iconic games from the series, like Glass Bridge and Red Light Green Light, so we’re inviting everyone into the chaos this holiday season.”
What does this mean for Netflix Games’ strategy going forward?
Netflix moved into the gaming arena in 2018 when it partnered with Telltale Games to stream its titles on the platform. In the six years since then, the streaming giant has amassed a library of 120 exclusive mobile games, all of which are offered as part of the package paying subscribers have access to. In recent years, the company has targeted casual gamers more by creating games based on its hit shows, such as Stranger Things: Puzzle Tales, The Queen’s Gambit Chess, and The Ultimatum: Choices.
Squid Game: Unleashed is by far Netflix’s biggest play for the gaming market yet, though. It will be interesting to see how the strategy of making it available to non-subscribers at no cost plays out because if it’s a roaring success, it could have big implications for the streamer’s gaming plans going forward.