Netflix’s most-watched original show of all time,Squid Game, is receiving its most divisive audience reception in series history with its third and final season. After the groundbreaking survival thriller series became a global phenomenon in 2021, with its debut season earning an impressive 95%Rotten Tomatoesscore and an 83% audience rating,Squid Gameseason 3 was released on Netflix on Jun 28, 2025. The highly anticipated season was announced by series creator Hwang Dong-hyuk to be the final one, set to conclude the story of Seong Gi-hun, played by Emmy winner Lee Jung-jae.
Just hours after its exclusive Netflix release,Squid Gameseason 3’s RT score is dividing critics and audiences. Critics have mostly givenSquid Game’sfinal season positive reviews, resulting in an RT score of 90% at the time of writing. The gap betweenSquid Gameseason 3’s critic score and audience score, however, is quite shocking and unprecedented, with viewers combining to rate the six-part season at only 49%. Not only isthe biggest difference between critic and audience scores for any season ofSquid Game, but it also concludesNetflix’s most-watched series everon a sour note, since there will be noSquid Gameseason 4.
What Squid Game’s Series-Low Audience Score Means For Its Legacy
Viewers Are Mostly Split On How The Series Ends In Its Finale Episode
Critics have generally offeredSquid Gamebetter Rotten Tomatoes scores than viewers havethroughout all three of its seasons. WhileSquid Gameseason 2’s critic score dropped from 95% to 83% between seasons 1 and 2, season 3’s increase to 90% would suggest that the series picked things up after season 2, which ended on a cliffhanger after a shortened 7-episode season. However, the notable decrease in audience scores betweenSquid Gameseason 1 and 2, dropping from 83% to just 63%, did not see any improvement in season 3, falling below the crucial 50% threshold and losing the majority.
1
95%
83%
2
63%
3
90%
49%
Without getting into spoiler territory,Squid Gameseason 3 – which is also the shortest season ofSquid Game– seems to be receiving ratings of 5 stars or 1-star from viewers. This showsan extreme disparity between audience members who apparently either love or hate the final season, with particular regard to how things play out in the series finale episode.
The bottom line is that some viewers are disappointed and unsatisfied with the show’s ending, while others applaud it.
The most divisive part ofSquid Gameseason 3 is its ending, which carries extra emphasis on the final moments of not just season 3, but the entire series. The bottom line is that some viewers are disappointed and unsatisfied with the show’s ending, while others applaud it.
Our Take On Squid Game Season 3’s Divisive Response
Now Viewers Must Choose Which Side They Are On
While some value critics' perspectives more than others, there’s still something to say about a season that received a 90% critic score and only three “Rotten” reviews, at the time of writing.Colliderwrites in their review, “Season 2 left a lot hanging and felt woefully incomplete, but Season 3 is where Squid Game finds its footing and surpasses even the original show.” Additionally,The Daily Beastcalls season 3, “as taut, startling, and unhinged as ever.” Nine out of ten critics consider the finale episode to be a series high note, whereas a near-majority of viewers are less impressed.
Rooted in a game of X’s and O’s,Squid Gameseason 3 now asks you which side you are on between the critics and at-home viewers.
Ultimately, this mixed reception from audiencesactually makesSquid Gameseason 3 even more intriguing. The most pressing questions aboutSquid Gameseason 3 no longer revolve entirely around its plot and characters, but now include inquiries into why the finale is so divisive as well. Rooted in a game of X’s and O’s,Squid Gameseason 3 now asks you which side you are on between the critics and at-home viewers.
