The creator of Squid Game has responded to claims of YouTube copycats.
It was the viral sensation that got us through the pandemic, and chances are that if you had a Netflix subscription in 2021, you were tuning in to watch Squid Game. Hwang Dong-hyuk created the Battle Royale-inspired drama for Netflix, pitching 456 doomed players against each other in a series of deadly kid's games. No one could've predicted its success, and with Squid Game becoming Netflix's most-watched show ever, it also swept the award's board.
With this, it's no surprise that Squid Game was quickly commissioned for a second season, had a real-life adaptation (without actually killing its contestants), and has seen the idea copied by some major names. As the most-subbed YouTuber, Jimmy "MrBeast" Donaldson was quick to jump on the Squid Game bandwagon in November 2021.
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He recreated his own non-deadly Squid Game where Joe Public competed for a $456,000 cash prize. Raking in over 303.5 million views in a matter of days (currently sitting at 673 million), it became one of 2021's most-watched videos.
Of course, there have been complaints that people like MrBeast are ripping off the idea of Squid Game.
Speaking to LADBible, when asked about MrBeast and the many other YouTube channels out there who are making a quick buck off Squid Game's success, Dong-hyuk seems to find it ironic. Discussing whether it's a case of people missing the point of the show, he explained: "I don't think so. In fact, I think that as a whole, is the message of Squid Game.
"You know, because of the themes of the Squid Games, Squid Game is about the capitalist society, where everything is commoditized and everything is calculated with money."
Adding that the point of Squid Game isn't to 'enlighten or awaken anybody,' Dong-hyuk continued: "It is a product that is created to generate revenue, right? And having said that, to have people watch a show like that, to recreate the game on their own, make their own versions, I think all of it is very much in line with the capitalist society that is depicted in Squid Game."
Instead, Dong-hyuk sees it as 'a reflection of the world that is portrayed in the world of Squid Game': "So I think these actions, rather than, you know, some people like to say that they dilute the message of Squid Game. I actually think it enforces it and makes the message even greater."
It took Dong-hyuk over 10 years to get Squid Game produced, and after writing it 12 years ago, he said its dystopian themes actually became more relevant. There have been complaints that MrBeast has profited off Dong-hyuk's idea, especially with a massive ad for his Brawl Stars game in the middle. Despite critics of MrBeast's version, it was at least a faithful recreation of Dong-hyuk's version - costing $3.5 million to produce. Then again, he's sure to have made a lot more than that back from the video. At least Dong-hyuk doesn't seem to mind, and with Squid Game season 3 coming, our obsession with the IP continues.