“Squid Game: The VIP Challenge” stars favorites from “The Traitors”, “Real Housewives”, “The Bachelor”, and more
“Squid Game: The VIP Challenge” stars favorites from “The Traitors”, “Real Housewives”, “The Bachelor”, and more
Kathleen PerriconeTue, March 3, 2026 at 11:02 PM UTC
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The cast of 'Squid Game: The VIP Challenge' includes Dylan Efron, Kim Zolciak, and Mel B.Credit: Netflix
Let the Squid Game begin — and this time with some familiar faces.
Netflix has announced Squid Game: The VIP Challenge starring eight very important players from the worlds of reality television, music, and sports: Dylan Efron (The Traitors), Kim Zolciak (Real Housewives of Atlanta), Mel B (Spice Girls), Ryan Serhant (Owning Manhattan), Tristan Thompson (NBA champion and Khloe Kardashian’s ex), Hannah Goodwin (Bachelor Nation), Kristy Sarah (content creator with 31 million followers), and Viper, a fan-favorite from season 2 of Squid Game: The Challenge.
Described as the streaming platform’s “most cutthroat reality competition series,” Squid Game: The Challenge debuted in 2023 as the most-watched show globally on Netflix. Now for its third season, "celebrities are shaking up the world of Squid Game to put their wits, strategies, and skill sets to the ultimate test," teases Netflix.
The Challenge is a spinoff of Squid Game, the South Korean dystopian drama that broke records in 2021 as Netflix’s most-watched series. Like the original, The Challenge's two seasons featured 456 players competing for $4.56 million. For this upcoming third season, Netflix has yet to reveal the grand prize.
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In the fictional Squid Game, the competition appealed particularly to those facing deep financial hardship. This time around, at least two contestants in The VIP Challenge could identify with that adversity.
Kim Zolciak starred on her own Bravo spinff, 'Don't Be Tardy,' for eight seasons.Credit: Courtesy of Netflix
Zolciak, who also had her own Bravo spinoff Don’t Be Tardy, lost her $6 million Atlanta mansion to foreclosure in 2025 following her separation from husband Kroy Biermann. Similarly, Mel B admitted in 2020 to “teetering on the brink of bankruptcy" after her own divorce from Stephen Belafonte.
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They will have a fierce competitor in Viper, a New York-based DJ and SoulCycle coach who was “Player 152” in last season's The Challenge. Speaking to Netflix's Tudum, he revealed his intention to cause “total chaos” in the game upon his return for season 3: “I did learn that every single decision should be considered in great detail. I will surely use a microscope with every choice I make.”
on Entertainment Weekly
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
