The iconic Squid Game tug of war challenge was changed for the reality series \u2013 but could it still make an appearance? <\/p>
Netflix\u2019s reality take on its hit Korean series Squid Game<\/a> is proving to be as popular as the original.<\/p>\n Only the first five episodes of\u00a0Squid Game: The Challenge<\/a> have landed on the streamer, but viewers are already clamouring for more<\/a>.<\/p>\n Despite the reality show\u2019s instant hit status, it\u2019s not without its critics<\/a>, and some elements are noticeably different from the drama it\u2019s based on (including the fact that people don\u2019t die when they lose, of course).<\/p>\n One of those elements was ditching tug of war, which saw the Squid Game cast split into two teams to chase each other around two raised platforms \u2013 with unsurprisingly gruesome results.<\/p>\n In The Challenge, tug of war is replaced by war ships, a decision the reality\u2019s producers are especially happy with.<\/p> Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter<\/a>, Squid Game: The Challenger executive producers Stephen Lambert, Tim Harcourt and John Hay explained the thought process behind the decision \u2013 and why it works better.<\/p>\n \u201cOne of the great challenges about this show is everyone\u2019s watching it after the drama [series]. They want to see the greatest hits of the drama. But then one of the keynotes of the drama was surprise,\u201d Hay explained.<\/p>\n Read more:<\/strong><\/p>\n He added: \u201cSo, you\u2019ve got to somehow deliver surprise, as well, and getting the balance right between familiarity and surprise was key.<\/p>\n \u201cBy the time we got to the third game, doing a rug-pull of leading viewers and players to expect one game and then delivering them another game was an opportunity for us.<\/p>\n \u201cIt wouldn\u2019t feel true to the spirit of Squid Game if we just trotted out all of the same games, one after another, in the same order. And we\u2019re really pleased with the way war ships played.\u201d<\/p>\n It sounds like the popular game could make an appearance in one of the five episodes still to air, however, so we\u2019ll keep our eyes peeled for that.<\/p> \n