The second season of Squid Game: The Challenge has returned with intense new games and dramatic eliminations. The competition started with 456 players vying for a massive $4.56 million prize. After the first four episodes, the field has been brutally narrowed down to just 42 contestants. Here is a complete breakdown of how the players were eliminated.
The First Major Cut: The Count
The competition began with a ruthless first game called The Count. The 456 players were divided into two teams: Team O and Team X. Each team had to estimate when 456 seconds had passed and press a button. The team closest to the correct time would win, while the losing team would be entirely eliminated.
Team X, led by Player 089 Michael, won the game by being only 2 seconds off the mark. Team O, led by Player 205 Ida, lost after being 12 seconds off. This resulted in the immediate elimination of 227 players from Team O.
However, there was a twist. Because twin brothers Raul (Player 431) and Jacob (Player 432) had volunteered to be team captains, Raul was granted immunity from the initial purge. He was given a secret mission: he had to eliminate three other players within one hour or be sent home himself. Raul successfully eliminated Jackie (Player 107), Bryce (Player 285), and Blake (Player 286). Before the next game, two more players chose to leave the competition for personal reasons. After this first massive cut, only 224 players remained.
Halving the Players Again: Six-Legged Pentathlon
In the second game, the remaining contestants faced the Six-Legged Pentathlon. Players were tied together in teams of five and had to complete a relay race with mini-games like Ball in a Cup and House of Cards. The losing team from each heat was eliminated. This team-based challenge cut the number of players in half once again, leaving 112 contestants.
A test followed the game. The five players who were the slowest in their respective mini-games were put up for a vote. The group decided to eliminate all of them: Player 180 (Jorell), Player 089 (Michael), Player 040 (Erik), Player 344 (Chris), and Player 289 (Sian). This brought the total number of remaining players down to 107.
A Game of Trust and Betrayal: Catch
The third game, Catch, was a psychological team challenge. Players divided into four color groups. A thrower in the center had to throw a ball to a catcher. If the ball was caught, both survived. If it was dropped, both were eliminated.
Three players—Heath (Player 082), August (Player 111), and Jonti (Player 118)—took a risk and chose not to join a team. They earned a pass to the next round but had to each select another player to compete for them. If their chosen player was eliminated, they would be eliminated too.
August chose Player 437 (Karim), Heath chose Player 383 (Emily), and Jonti chose Player 152 (Viper). During the tense game, Viper was eliminated, which also meant Jonti was sent home. In total, 33 players were eliminated in the game of Catch, leaving 74 contestants in the competition.
The Doll and a Vote
A test involving a Russian doll created more drama. Player 075 (Natalie) won 10 coins from the doll but was forced to use them to eliminate another player. She chose to eliminate Ashley (Player 080).
Later, Player 098 (Matthew) opened a doll that forced him to nominate another player for elimination. He chose Raul (Player 431). The dorm then voted on who should stay. Matthew received 55 votes and survived, while Raul received 16 votes and was sent home. These two eliminations brought the player count down to 72.
The Chaotic Mingle
The fourth game was the social strategy challenge Mingle. Players stood on a moving merry-go-round. When the music stopped, they were given a number and had to form groups of that size. Anyone who failed to find a group or joined a group with the wrong number was eliminated.
This fast-paced and chaotic game whittled down the players significantly. By the end of Mingle, 28 more contestants had been eliminated. The episode ended with the remaining 44 players discovering that their next challenge would be the emotional game of Marbles, which will pair them up and cut the number of players in half once more.
Notable Player Exits
The season has already seen the departure of several memorable contestants.
Mark, Player 100, was eliminated during Catch after being singled out. He described the experience as feeling like “middle school bullying,” but stated he holds no grudges.
Viper, Player 152, was also eliminated in Catch. He reflected that the experience “softened him” and taught him to “trust who you are.”
August, Player 111, was eliminated during Mingle. He made a choice to prioritize friendship over the money, later saying, “Prioritizing my friends is something I’d never regret, even if it was a $4.56 million dollar sacrifice.”
The twin brothers Raul (Player 431) and Jacob (Player 432) both saw their journeys end early. Raul was eliminated by a group vote, while Jacob was eliminated in Mingle.
The remaining 42 players will continue their battle for the $4.56 million prize in the next episodes, streaming on November 11, 2025.
Also Read: House of David Season 2, Episode 7: A Wedding, a Murder, and a King’s Rage
Credits: Netflix Tudum, Dexerto, Primetime
