Squid Game Season 2: Netflix Misses Its Marketing Strategy

If there was a gold medal for “being everywhere at once,” Netflix just won it with the marketing campaign for Squid Game Season 2. Still, if they really wanted to, they could have made it a mukbang. Despite their massive investment in bringing back the hype of season one, they missed a big opportunity.

Let’s start with Squid Game: Unleashed. Netflix launched a 32-player battle royale (last man standing type game) right before season 2, allowing fans to dive right into the chaos. It wasn’t a AAA blockbuster, but it didn’t need to be. It was accessible, fun, and gave players a taste of that Squid Game panic (without, you know, the risk of death).

On TikTok, Netflix went all out with mini-games and profile picture stickers, making your timeline feel like a Squid Game course.

Here, Netflix showed off its marketing muscle: partnerships.

• McDonald’s in Australia offered a Squid Game-themed meal.

• Duolingo launched “Korean or Else”, turning language lessons into survival preparation.

• Just EatTakeaway.com gamified your orders with a mini-game and a £10K prize pool.

• Even Tottenham Hotspur got in on the act, although not all fans were thrilled with the combination of football and dystopia. (But hey, it got everyone talking, and that’s what matters.)

This wasn’t just marketing; it was like living in a Squid Game universe. Wherever you looked, Squid Game was there.

Fun fact: Famous YouTuber “MrBeast” gained a lot of attention with his real-life Squid Game video, which has been viewed over 715 million times since the first season. He has now launched a new series called “Beast Games”, with the same concept where participants compete for a prize of 5 million dollars.

Roblox and Fortnite: a missed opportunity

And here’s where it gets weird: Netflix skipped Roblox and Fortnite, two platforms that perfectly fit their target audience. Instead of partnering up, they released their own game. But the Roblox community didn’t sit idly by and made Squid Game games themselves. These lobbies attract millions of players, with over 300,000 concurrent players if you add up the top five most popular games.

Fortnite players did the same, with a single fan-made map reaching over 69.2 million active players.

Why did Netflix choose not to officially partner or have revenue-sharing deals with top creators on these platforms? We feel like they missed a huge opportunity. Imagine an official Squid Game experience on Roblox or partnerships with Fortnite’s top creators. Netflix could have turned these platforms into the virtual home of Squid Game, instead of watching fans do the work themselves.

It’s clear that gaming platforms are no longer optional extras for entertainment brands; they are the protagonists. This is where your audience lives, breathes, and plays. Netflix almost had the perfect marketing strategy, but by ignoring popular platforms like Roblox and Fortnite, they missed a golden opportunity to truly shine. The future of entertainment marketing is not just about being everywhere, but about being where your audience is, ready to play the next game.

Want to avoid missing out on the same opportunities Netflix did? At No Noob Agency, we know exactly how to reach your target audience through the right platforms and partnerships. With our expertise in gaming marketing, we ensure that your brand stands out and makes an impact, exactly where your audience is.

Let’s take the next big step together. Contact us today and find out how we can make your campaign a success!