A ‘Squid Game’ Tournament, Without Penalties, Took Place In Abu Dhabi

For the past month or so, Netflix’s South Korean survival thriller Squid Game has taken the world by storm, spawning memes, coffee table discussion, and a whole lot of broken honeycombs.

The nine-part series chronicles the tale of Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae), a money-hungry father who assumes the role as number 456—a contestant in the murderous Squid Game competition. Throughout Squid Game, we follow 456, and his beloved teammates 067, 218, 001 and 199, as they battle for survival in a bid to win a cash prize large enough for three lifetimes. 

If the recent Halloween costumes based on the now-iconic green Squid Game tracksuits weren’t enough, Abu Dhabi went the extra mile. 

Yesterday (October 12), in the United Arab Emirates capital of Abu Dhabi, a real-life version of Squid Game was held—without the violence, of course. The reenactment was organised by The Korean Cultural Center (KCC) and featured two 15-man teams going head-to-head.

Contestants immersed themselves into the show’s dystopian universe by playing series mainstays like Ddakji, Red Light, Green Light, the Dalgona honeycomb challenge, and marbles. 

Staff members also donned faceless crimson jumpsuits and masks to emulate the guard’s appearance to keep things as show accurate as possible. 

In addition to cementing itself as a pop culture phenomenon and garnering masses of critical acclaim, Squid Game has also surpassed Bridgerton as Netflix’s most-watched show, with more than 111 million viewers tuning in within 28 days of its premiere.