"A failed rebellion, the death of a friend, and a secret betrayal," let the games begin. "Squid Game"returns this week for its third and final season with Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) aiming to put an end to the game after losing his best friend and "being driven to utter despair by The Front Man (Lee Byung-hun), who was hiding his true identity to infiltrate the game." The upcoming season picks up right after Season 2's bloody cliffhanger, and finds Gi-hun, aka Player 456, "at his lowest point yet," says Netflix. "But the Squid Game stops for no one, so Gi-hun will be forced to make some important choices in the face of overwhelming despair as he and the surviving players are thrust into deadlier games that test everyone's resolve," the season synopsis says. "With each round, their choices lead to increasingly grave consequences." The Front Man, meanwhile, "continues onto his next move and the surviving players' choices will lead to graver consequences with each round," says Netflix about the highly anticipated upcoming season. "Will Gi-hun make the right decisions, or will Front Man finally break his spirit?" the streamer adds. Series creator Hwang Dong-hyuk told Netflix's Tudum"the new season will focus on what Gi-hun can and will do after all his efforts fail." "He is in utter despair after losing everything and watching all his efforts go in vain," Hwang says. "The story then takes an interesting turn, questioning whether Gi-hun can overcome his shame and rise again to prove that values of humanity — like conscience and kindness — can exist in the arena." The viral dystopic show,which centers around main character Gi-hunhas delighted fans since its 2021 premiere, combining classic thriller elements with a deeper exploration of the human capacity for evil and the perils of an unequal society. Season 2 of "Squid Game" is currently the third-biggest season of a TV show in Netflix history with 192.6 million views so far, the streamer said. Here's what to know about Season 3 of "Squid Game," including the release date, cast and trailer. Join our Watch Party!Sign up to receive USA TODAY's movie and TV recommendations right in your inbox Season 3 of "Squid Game" will release on Friday, June 27 at 3 a.m. ET / 12 a.m. PT on Netflix. Need a break?Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle. All six episodes of "Squid Game" Season 3 will be available to stream on Netflix at 3 a.m. ET/12 a.m. PT on Friday, June 27. Cast members for Season 3 of "Squid Game," as per Netflix, include: Lee Jung-jae as Seong Gi-hun (Player 456) Lee Byung-hun as Front man Wi Ha-jun as Hwang Jun-ho Yim Si-wan as Myung-gi (Player 333) Kang Ha-neul as Dae-ho (Player 388) Park Sung-hoon as Hyun-ju (Player 120) Yang Dong-geun as Yong-sik (Player 007) Kang Ae-sim as Geum-ja (Player 149) Jo Yuri as Jun-hee (Player 222) Lee David as Min-su (Player 125) Roh Jae-won as Nam-gyu (Player 124) Park Gyu-young as No-eul Netflix released the trailer for "Squid Game" Season 3 on June 13. "Squid Game" will not be returning for another season. Series director, writer, and executive producer Hwang Dong-hyuk, in aletter to fans, had said Season 3 would be the series' last. Seasons 2 and 3 of the South Korean thriller were filmed back-to-back, hence the short six-month wait compared to the three-year hiatus between Seasons 1 and 2. Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@gannett.com and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:'Squid Game' Season 3: Premiere date, cast, how to watch