Keep in mind once we all thought the thought of turning Netflix’s Squid Recreation right into a real-world actuality present was a foul concept? Seems we had been proper as a result of a bunch of contestants are in search of authorized motion towards the Netflix-produced actuality present for unsafe working situations, trauma, and taking part in what they declare was a rigged competitors. The Squid Recreation actuality present simply wrapped up filming final Monday.
Initially reported by Rolling Stone, 4 former contestants of Netflix’s Squid Recreation: The Problem allege that the streamer and its co-production studios, Studio Lambert and The Backyard, subjected them to inhumane working situations. Squid Recreation: The Problem was initially introduced in June final 12 months following the success of the mega-popular Korean drama which obtained 1.65 billion hours considered inside its first 28 days on the streamer. In it, 456 gamers competed in recreations of the present’s well-liked video games like “Pink Mild, Inexperienced Mild” for the prospect to win $4.56 million.
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“All of the torment and trauma we skilled wasn’t as a result of recreation or the rigor of the sport,” a former contestant informed Rolling Stone. “It was the incompetencies of scale — they bit off greater than they might chew.”
In keeping with earlier reporting from IndieWire, 10 contestants required medical consideration for accidents they suffered whereas filming the fact present, chief amongst them being pneumonia, a herniated disc, a torn knee tendon, and an ear an infection. In keeping with IndieWire, contestants had been requested to face nonetheless whereas taking part in “Pink Mild, Inexperienced Mild” at 26° Fahrenheit (-3° Celsius) climate in 30-minute increments throughout a nine-hour filming session.
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On the time, a consultant from Netflix informed IndieWire that it “invested in all the suitable security procedures” to make sure the well being and security of its solid and crew members had been maintained.
“Whereas it was very chilly on set—and contributors had been ready for that—any claims of great damage are unfaithful,” the Netflix consultant informed IndieWire.
One other grievance alleges that Squid Recreation: The Problem was rigged. In keeping with Rolling Stone, quite a few contestants within the actuality present, a few of which had been Instagram and TikTok influencers, had been scripted to advance to the subsequent spherical of the competitors no matter whether or not or not they accomplished a recreation in order to artificially improve the intrigue for on-screen storylines.
“The humorous factor is, equality and equity was the primary theme of the unique Squid Recreation,” one former competitor informed Rolling Stone.
In an incident three former contestants name the “38-second bloodbath,” a bunch of contestants had their blood squib packs go off and had been concurrently eradicated from the fact present. In keeping with the contestants, the present’s producers eradicated them regardless of their having efficiently accomplished a recreation with time to spare whereas they had been reviewing the spherical’s drone-shot footage.
“As an alternative of Squid Recreation, [they] are calling it ‘Rigged Recreation.’ As an alternative of Netflix, they’re calling it ‘Web Repair,’ as a result of it was clearly apparent,” one other former participant informed Rolling Stone.
Kotaku reached out to Netflix for remark however didn’t obtain a reply by the point of publication.
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Whereas followers scratched their head at how making a real-life Squid Recreation ignored the present’s core theme about how determined folks struggling beneath a capitalistic society for the amusement of the extra lucky is…dangerous, collection director Hwang Dong-hyuk got here out in help of the present throughout a backstage interview on the 2022 Emmys.
“I feel that regardless that our present does carry fairly a heavy message—and I do know that there are some considerations of taking that message and creating it right into a actuality present with a money prize. Nonetheless, I really feel like while you take issues too critically, that’s actually not one of the best ways to go for the leisure business,” Dong-hyuk mentioned. “It doesn’t actually set a fantastic precedent.”.
The Netflix present’s launch spawned a bunch of copycats, most notably a knock-off online game and YouTuber MrBeast’s real-life model of the present’s dying video games (minus the ugly deaths) the place 456 folks compete towards one another to win $456,000.
A second season of Squid Recreation has been confirmed by Netflix however doesn’t have an official launch date.