The Upcoming 'Squid Game' Reality Show Seems Like a Mess

Participants of the upcoming Squid Game reality show on Netflix say that treatment was 'cruel' and that the contest was 'rigged.'

Participants of the upcoming Squid Gamereality game show on Netflix are fuming at the "mean" and "cruel" treatment they allegedly endured. On Thursday (February 2), a report from Rolling Stone surfaced with sources claiming that they spent "hours" in freezing cold weather and experienced medical issues while filming in the U.K. The game show is based on the 2021 Netflix South Korean drama of the same title, where hundreds of contestants accept an invitation to play in a cash-grab game for their lives.

Contestants of the recent game show have drawn similarities to the fictional series, one source calling it “the cruelest, meanest thing I’ve ever been through,” also comparing it to a "human horse race."

They continued, “They were treating us like horses out in the cold racing and [the race] was fixed.”

Another contestant claimed that the “torment and trauma” wasn’t due to “the rigor of the game,” but instead, the organizer’s “incompetencies.”

Multiple sources have alleged that the game was rigged, in which several participants – also social media influencers – were selected to continue forth throughout the show and were seemingly pre-selected. One former contestant said that one player was eliminated before being readmitted to the competition. Other sources claimed that contestants who successfully completed a challenge were randomly eliminated.

“It really wasn’t a game show. It was a TV show, and we were basically extras in a TV show,” said a source. Another stated, “Instead of Squid Game, [they] are calling it ‘Rigged Game.’ Instead of Netflix, they’re calling it ‘Net Fix,’ because it was clearly obvious.”

According to previous claims of competing in a "Red Light, Green Light" challenge in freezing weather conditions, a source said that “at least 10 people” collapsed during the game. Medics were hesitant to address the situation because “producers were worried about the camera shots being ruined.”

“On what planet is that even humane?” said one former contestant, who was left to stand still while other participants had collapsed and were denied medical assistance. “It’s a social experiment. It played on our morals and it’s sick. It’s absolutely sick.”

Two sources have stated that multiple players are seeking legal advice to sue the production team for “workplace safety violations, negligence and false pretenses," per Rolling Stone.

In a statement last month per Deadline, Netflix denied “serious injury” and insisted that they “care deeply about the health and safety of our cast and crew."

“We care deeply about the health of our cast and crew, and the quality of this show," the company stated. "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.”