Squid Game Season 3 Episode 1 Recap: Deadly New Hide and Seek

Squid Game Season 3 launches with a violent reckoning as the soldiers corner the last rebellious players. Player 145 is killed outright, while No-eul shocks everyone by saving Player 246 (Kyung-suk) — shooting him in the stomach to fake his death so he’s smuggled out for organ trafficking. The triangle soldier marks his coffin for the organ ring, but No-eul has other plans.

On the smuggling boat, mercenaries search for the missing drone operator. Captain Park covers up the truth, lying that the operator fell overboard. Woo-seok, the loan shark, seems convinced — for now. Back in the bunker, Gi-hun wakes up broken and furious, demanding answers about his survival before the vote resumes. He forfeits his turn, his spirit shattered, and the game continues as the blue and red teams clash.

Rebellion Fallout and Twisted Deals

Player 100 twists the failed rebellion into a rumor that Gi-hun plotted to boost the prize pot by sacrificing others. The Shaman taunts him, saying he’ll never escape the ghosts of his friends, pushing Gi-hun to choke her in a blind rage before others intervene.

Meanwhile, No-eul storms the workroom before the organ-harvesting doctor can cut into 246. She kills the guards and forces the doctor at gunpoint to save Kyung-suk’s life — even offering her own blood for a transfusion.

Back in the mess hall, Min-su watches Player 124 pop hidden pills while Dae-ho, once exposed as a traitor, eats casually under Gi-hun’s icy stare. Hyun-ju apologizes for the failed revolt but Yong-sik pins the blame on Dae-ho, fueling Gi-hun’s simmering hate.

READ MORE: Our Unwritten Seoul Episode 10 Recap: Ro-sa’s Past Revealed

READ MORE: Good Boy Episode 7 Recap: Dong-ju’s Sacrifice and Secret

Trouble at Sea

At the port, Woo-seok corners Jun-ho, revealing his suspicions about Captain Park — who suspiciously had a screwdriver when the drone operator vanished. Jun-ho refuses to believe the loyal man who once saved his life could betray him, and instead blames Woo-seok for drinking with the missing operator.

VIP Arrival and New Deadly Game

The Frontman prepares for the arriving VIPs while Gi-hun’s group is forced into the next twisted round: Hide and Seek — with a savage twist. The Blue Team hides with a master key that only unlocks doors, while the Red Team stalks them with knives. If the Red Team fails to kill, they die instead.

Players scramble to switch sides — some out of fear, some for strategy. Myung-gi switches with Jun-hee, insisting he’d kill to protect her. Yong-sik tries to switch with his mother Geum-ja, but she reminds him she survived worse and flashes her lethal hairpin.

Dae-ho’s begging to switch fails miserably as Gi-hun’s glare drills into him. Infuriated, Dae-ho picks a fight, blaming Gi-hun for the rebellion’s failure — but the silent stare Gi-hun gives in return says it all.

The Hunt Begins

As the game starts, the Blue Team — Yong-sik, Hyun-ju, Myung-gi, Dae-ho, the Shaman, and Player 100 — scatter to hide. The Red Team — Gi-hun, Geum-ja, Jun-hee, Min-su, and 124 — prepare to hunt. Outside, Myung-gi and 124 plot together: kill one Blue Team member, then protect Jun-hee.

Meanwhile, Gi-hun finally mutters that it really is his fault — but whether he means the rebellion or the horror about to unfold is unclear.

When the countdown ends, Hide and Seek begins. Betrayals, secrets, and shifting alliances set the stage for another bloody chapter in Squid Game Season 3. For more K-Drama recaps, check out the link below.

Alternatively, watch the full release here: