Was the Mingle protest real? Squid Game: The Challenge Season 2 creators reveal truth

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Similar to the first season of Squid Game: The Challenge, the new season is being criticized for potentially being staged. Producers have now responded to claims following a particularly intense game of ‘Mingle’ that resulted in players protesting.

The latest season of the Squid Game reality competition premiered on Netflix this week, with 456 contestants competing for a grand prize of $4.56 million.

Just like the original show, players compete in childhood games. However, instead of facing deadly consequences for losing, those eliminated are simply removed from the competition.

Season 2 of Squid Game: The Challenge features both brand new games and real-life adaptations of challenges from the original show. The “Mingle” game was particularly difficult and emotionally draining for players, just like it was in the first season. (Spoiler alert for the first part of the season!)

Was the Mingle protest real in Squid Game: The Challenge Season 2?

The producers of Squid Game: The Challenge confirmed that the players’ revolt during the last Mingle game was genuine. However, they explained that it didn’t disrupt their plans, as they intended to move onto the Marbles game anyway.

If you’re new to the game, Mingle was first featured in Squid Game Season 3. Players stand on a spinning platform, and when it stops, they have to quickly form groups of a certain size.

Once the initial phase is complete, teams need to quickly move to one of the nearby rooms before time expires. Any team that falls behind or doesn’t have the correct number of members is immediately disqualified. This part of the competition is especially challenging because it forces people to break up partnerships, strains friendships, and often leads to new rivalries.

With time running out, players are becoming increasingly desperate. Some are even trying to force their way into rooms, only to be removed, and, like Player 398 (Trinity), being prevented from leaving even when they want to help a teammate.

By the last round, the players are emotionally exhausted. When the number two is revealed, those still competing refuse to continue, instead joining hands and declaring they won’t play anymore.

The Front Man appears with a group of Pink Guards and gives the players a “reward” for their bravery: a bag of marbles. Because the players are in pairs, the marbles secretly determine who their partner will be for the next round, and one of each pair will be eliminated in Part 2.

Honestly, a lot of people watching the show don’t buy what happened, and I’m starting to feel the same way. I saw someone on Reddit point out that the way things ended in the fourth episode of Season 2 just felt way too… planned. It didn’t feel natural at all, and now I’m questioning everything!

Someone else commented that the situation felt completely staged. They found it unbelievable that everyone would suddenly refuse to participate in Mingle, only to then be conveniently paired up and given marbles. They accused the show’s producers of underestimating the audience’s intelligence.

Look, the people who made the show are saying everything you saw was legit, and the whole ‘mutiny’ thing didn’t actually change the story much. I read an interview with one of the executive producers, Tim Harcourt, and he said people are overestimating how much we had to adjust things after it happened.

Okay, so here’s how it was supposed to work for the final round. They wanted to make sure everyone had a partner – an even number of teams, basically – so no one would be left out. The plan was for the guards to then sneak a box of marbles into each room through the window of the doors. It sounded pretty cool, honestly!

We didn’t change our plan, but the reaction was fascinating. Once the final number was announced and people found their matches – which was the goal all along – they surprisingly resisted and instead held hands with their partners.

We realized we could still carry out our plan, but we needed to change how we accessed the rooms. Instead of going inside, we decided to have the Front Man lead the guards onto the stage to distribute the marbles – we quickly adjusted our approach to focus on the delivery method.

It was such a genuine moment, and we just went with it. The players clearly weren’t feeling it anymore and kind of pushed back, but honestly, it didn’t feel like things got out of hand at all. We weren’t overstepping or anything. It was more like a really gentle, quiet shift in the dynamic – a ‘velvet revolution,’ as he put it, and I totally agree!

John Hay, an executive producer on the show, shared with Netflix’s Tudum that it was a very impactful scene. He explained that they’re always searching for moments that show what characters are truly like, and this one felt especially revealing.

When planning this season, our main goal was to surprise everyone. We knew people wouldn’t believe the ‘picnic treat’ idea again, so we wanted something unexpected. Launching the game immediately after Mingle was a key part of that plan, and we felt it would have been sufficient on its own.

Ultimately, the rebellion caused more disruption, and the teams formed during that chaotic time led to incredibly competitive games of Marbles.

Mingle protest sparks theory 

Even though it’s been proven the protest against the show was genuine, some viewers of Squid Game: The Challenge Season 2 believe the show was cancelled because the ‘Mingle’ portion became too intense and caused problems.

The idea started when someone on Reddit commented that it would be interesting to hear what happens behind the scenes after the season ends. They felt the recent ‘Mingle’ game felt the most authentic so far, with players visibly becoming genuinely competitive and stressed.

Things were getting intense. People were blocking some attendees from entering while letting others through. It sounds like the producers ended the event because of it.

I’m inclined to agree with that idea,” said another person. “It seems likely they spoke to the contestants during the breaks, but probably didn’t mention the final surprise with the marbles.

Most viewers enjoyed the game, and one person even speculated that the marbles at the end were the intended result all along.

They explained that since there were an even number of people remaining – two, specifically – everyone was guaranteed to receive a gift. They believe the final round was simply to match people up and deliver the gifts privately in individual rooms, instead of as a group.

One viewer commented that this recent interaction felt even more compelling than the one depicted in the show, saying, “Bravo!” Another explained that they believe it’s because, despite enjoying fictional characters, viewers always subconsciously know those storylines are pre-written.

It’s amazing to see genuine, unfiltered human reactions and the full range of opinions. It’s truly captivating to watch.

Squid Game: The Challenge players say Mingle was the “most intense game ever”

Man, after playing Squid Game: The Challenge Season 2, a bunch of us have been talking about that Mingle game. It was seriously intense when we were all trying to connect with each other, and we told Netflix’s Tudum just how stressful it was!

Player 369, known as Zoe, described the game Mingle as incredibly intense, saying it was far more physical than anyone anticipated. She joked that footage from the game could be used for a university study on human behavior, because people were acting so erratically.

Player 111 (August) said the on-screen events didn’t capture how strongly the games affected them emotionally, and Player 361 (Faith) called the experience “the worst thing I’ve ever gone through.”

Despite the negative experiences of some, Player 110, Melissa, actually enjoyed the game. She explained, “I was really looking forward to Mingle and felt well-prepared.” She proactively spent the morning before the game building connections with several different groups in the dorms.

I’ll never forget looking up at the ceiling with the strobe lights flashing. I felt incredibly excited, not really scared at all. I was actually one of the people dancing on the carousel, and for me, the experience was a thrilling mix of fear and fun.

Zoe’s dad, Curt, who was known as Player 370, said they initially felt confident after doing well in the first few rounds. However, that feeling changed when the alliances between players began to fall apart.

It started with others taking my units, and honestly, it quickly became frustrating. I found myself getting really mad at other players, and it turned into this whole blame game – everyone accusing everyone else of being unfair. It was a real test of how people react under pressure, for sure. It really showed you what people are like when things get competitive.

The second part of Squid Game: The Challenge Season 2 arrives on Netflix November 11th. While you wait, you can find information on how to apply for Season 3, details about Squid Game USA, and a list of other new shows coming to Netflix this month.

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2025-11-05 14:51