Squid Game will end with season 3 as Netflix sets the release date for the much-anticipated season 2 of the acclaimed series.

Netflix has finally revealed the release date for Squid Game season 2. The long-awaited series will premiere on the streaming service on December 26th. Let the games begin! Additionally, Squid Game creator Hwang Dong-hyuk announced that the series will conclude with its third season, which will arrive next year.

“It’s been almost three years since Season 1 was met with incredible response around the world and many unimaginable events took place,” Hwang Dong-hyuk wrote in a letter. “On the first day we began shooting Season 2, I remember thinking ‘Wow, I can’t believe I’m back in the world of Squid Game’. It almost felt surreal. I wonder how it will feel for you to be back in Squid Game after three years as well.“

Hwang continued, “Seong Gi-hun who vowed revenge at the end of Season 1 returns and joins the game again. Will he succeed in getting his revenge? Front Man doesn’t seem to be an easy opponent this time either. The fierce clash between their two worlds will continue into the series finale with Season 3, which will be brought to you next year. I am thrilled to see that the seed that was planted in creating a new Squid Game grow and bear fruit through the end of this story. We’ll do our best to make sure we bring you yet another thrill ride.” You can check out a first-look image of Lee Jung-jae in the second season below.

Squid Game season 2 was reportedly filmed back-to-back with season 3, which is why Netflix will be able to release the final season next year. I don’t know if fans would have been able to stomach another three-year wait.

The official synopsis for Squid Game season 2: “Three years after winning Squid Game, Player 456 remains determined to find the people behind the game and put an end to their vicious sport. Using this fortune to fund his search, Gi-hun starts with the most obvious of places: look for the man in a sharp suit playing ddakji in the subway. But when his efforts finally yield results, the path toward taking down the organization proves to be deadlier than he imagined: to end the game, he needs to re-enter it.“

Hwang Dong-hyuk once again serves as director, writer, and producer of the series, with Lee Jung-jae, Lee Byung-hun, Wi Ha-jun, and Gong Yoo reprising their roles from the first season. New cast members include Yim Si-wan, Kang Ha-neul, Park Gyu-young, Lee Jin-uk, Park Sung-hoon, Yang Dong-geun, Kang Ae-sim, Lee David, Choi Seung-hyun, Roh Jae-won, Jo Yu-ri, and Won Ji-an.

In addition to the next two seasons of Squid Game, Netflix is also moving forward with a second season of Squid Game: The Challenge, a reality series in which 456 players compete for a US$4.56 million cash prize by competing in challenges based on those in the series… although without all the death. There have also been rumours that David Fincher is still working on an English-language version of the series.