Mediatonic Reveals 1 Iconic ‘Squid Game’ Moment May Be Coming to ‘Fall Guys’
Squid Game fans might soon be able to play one of the famous Netflix show’s games in Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout. According to Fall Guys’ developer, Mediatonic, the studio previously considered a Red Light, Green Light-inspired mini-game for the battle royale but scrapped the idea. However, the popularity of Squid Game, which features Red Light, Green Light, has inspired Mediatonic to take a second look.
Some fans and critics have compared ‘Squid Game’ to ‘Fall Guys’
Netflix’s South Korean survival drama sees 456 people, all of whom are struggling with debt, thrown into a mysterious competition filled with children’s games. The tournament’s winner receives ₩45.6 billion ($38.5 million). However, there’s a deadly catch: those who are eliminated from the games will die. Each death adds ₩100 million to the grand prize. The stakes are incredibly high, so contestants must form alliances in order to survive.
Meanwhile, Fall Guys has a similar yet much more light-hearted concept: players control bean-like characters competing in a series of battle royale mini-games for a grand prize at the end. Many Squid Game fans and critics who have also played Fall Guys immediately drew connections between the two, from the concepts to the bright pink and blue color schemes. Those pink jumpsuit-clad guards in Squid Game look strikingly similar to the pink beans in Fall Guys.
Because of the similarities, many fans of the show and video game have called for a crossover. Fall Guys has crossed over with several other pop culture entities since its release in 2020, so the idea isn’t totally far-fetched.
“Don’t mind me, just sitting here patiently waiting for the @FallGuysGame #SquidGame crossover, Squid Guys,” one Twitter user wrote.
“Who would be down for a Fall Guys x Squid Game crossover? Me, that’s who,” another user added.
Mediatonic says ‘Squid Game’ might influence a new ‘Fall Guys’ minigame
Mediatonic has yet to confirm a full Squid Game x Fall Guys crossover, but the Netflix show has certainly inspired the developer. Speaking to TechRadar about the future of the video game, lead designer Joe Walsh explained that Fall Guys almost did its own take on Red Light, Green Light. However, the team feared the concept wouldn’t translate well in a video game. The idea is to run toward the finish line when the caller says “green light” and remain as still as possible when they say “red light.”
“Within a video game, there’s something about movement,” Walsh said. “[I]n real life, it’s very hard to stay still, but in a video game, you just put your controller down. And so, at the time, I think we were like, ‘We’ll never do Red Light, Green Light, it doesn’t make sense.'”
Squid Game’s take on Red Light, Green Light has become an iconic representation of the series, inspiring Mediatonic to reconsider its idea.
“Seeing how popular Squid Game is, I’d love for us to have another crack at something like that and see if we could do it in Fall Guys,” Walsh added.
‘Fall Guys’ was inspired by many television game shows
Squid Game’s influence on Fall Guys isn’t too surprising, given its other inspirations. Walsh said television had a big impact on the battle royale, particularly game shows. He told TechRadar:
Really the inspiration for it is Takeshi’s Castle (MXC in the U.S.) and Total Wipeout. It’s A Knockout for people who are maybe a bit older. And those game shows are so amazing. I spent my childhood watching them and loving them, and I’ve always wondered what it would be like to compete on those shows. And that was really the genesis of Fall Guys. I think that’s what makes it so unique is that it’s the only game to draw inspiration from that area. I think it’s been a big reason as to why it’s been such a hit.
Squid Game is available now on Netflix. Fall Guys is currently playable on PC and PlayStation 4. Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S versions are coming soon.
