Netflix's 'Death Game' Season 2 has delivered a shocking twist with the revelation of two eliminated contestants. Newlywed and new father KwakTube shared the unfortunate news of his elimination from the show.
In the second episode of Netflix's daily variety show 'Death Game: The Final Winner' (directed by Kwon Dae-hyun, produced by TEO), released on the 29th, a fierce preliminary round unfolded featuring Mensa member Yulisa, KAIST AI researcher Heo Seong-beom, 2.15 million subscriber travel YouTuber KwakTube, 'Single's Inferno 5' alum Park Hee-sun, and Kiki's Jiyu. The game 'Destiny War 39,' where contestants predict their number of victories, heightened the tension as KwakTube and Heo Seong-beom battled to avoid being the first to be eliminated.
The psychological warfare intensified as contestants' fates could change based on their opponents' cards. KwakTube, facing a crisis in the latter half, referenced 'Squid Game,' stating, "You have to take the 'lunchbox' and eliminate the skilled players," positioning himself as the 'lunchbox' and expressing a strong will to survive by suggesting Heo Seong-beom should be eliminated. He humorously promised Jiyu, "If you save me, I'll stream Kiki's songs endlessly," while Heo Seong-beom countered by mentioning his analysis video of Kiki's '404' lyrics, eliciting laughter.
The decisive showdown between the two occurred in the 9th round. Heo Seong-beom's successful 'hidden' strategy set the stage for a comeback, but the outcome remained uncertain. Yulisa, holding the key to victory, supported Heo Seong-beom, sealing KwakTube's fate as the first eliminated contestant. KwakTube reflected, "I blame myself a lot and was too greedy," and humorously added, "Travel YouTubers will never set foot in 'Death Game' again," empathizing with fellow YouTuber PaniBottle's earlier elimination.
With Jiyu, Park Hee-sun, Yulisa, and Heo Seong-beom surviving the first preliminary round, the second preliminary game 'Cube Hell' commenced. This spatial perception game involves deducing the hidden cube arrangement through optimal questioning, marking the final battle for a spot in the finals. The game, requiring precise understanding of each layer's structure, was dubbed 'Heo Seong-beom's game,' with many contestants wary of the KAIST alum.
Heo Seong-beom showcased systematic note-taking and analysis to quickly approach the correct answer, while Jiyu organized information using a three-dimensional structure, relying on intuitive judgment. Jiyu emerged as the first finalist, expressing joy, "I'm happy to return confidently and can't wait to boast to the Kiki members."
Heo Seong-beom followed, securing his place in the finals, while the final showdown between Yulisa and Park Hee-sun heightened the tension. In a bittersweet conclusion, Yulisa emerged victorious, while Park Hee-sun, narrowly missing the finals, tearfully shared, "I could have succeeded if I had been a bit calmer. It was lonely, but I gained a lot by throwing myself into an unexpected environment."
With three finalists confirmed, 'Death Game' is set to kick off its main tournament. Jiyu, Heo Seong-beom, and Yulisa will face off against Park Sung-woong, Pengsoo, and Seo Chul-goo in the upcoming tournament battles.
Kim Ji-won, TenAsia Reporter bella@tenasia.co.kr