‘Squid Game: The Challenge’ crowns winner of $4.56 million cash prize

(CNN) — The winner of Netflix’s “Squid Game: The Challenge” has been named.

Mai Whelan, number 287, took home the top prize of $4.56 million during Wednesday’s season finale episode after playing a high-stakes game of “rock paper scissors.” The 55-year old Virginia-native played against runner-up Phill Cain, a scuba instructor from Hawaii.

On Wednesday, Netflix also announced that “The Challenge” will return for a second season. Season 1 debuted in November.

“The Challenge” is a reality show competition based on the streamer’s 2021 South Korean hit series “Squid Game,” which will also be returning for a second season.

According to an official synopsis, “The Challenge” follows 456 contestants who “enter the competition show in pursuit of a life-changing reward of USD $4.56 million.”

“As they compete through a series of games inspired by the original show – plus surprising new additions – their strategies, alliances, and character will be put to the test while competitors are eliminated around them,” it read.

The original dramatic series also featured a game with 456 contestants and a jackpot based on that number – but the stakes were of course much higher and with potentially fatal outcomes.

While “The Challenge” is not a matter of life or death, as is graphically depicted in the namesake series, the reality show’s elaborate sets and games looked nearly identical to those seen in “Squid Game.”

The newer series also featured a number of new “tests” that resulted in either the elimination of one or various contestants, a food-related treat or an advantage for the next game.

The 2021 series “Squid Game” follows a group of cash-strapped contestants who compete in a series of deadly childhood games for a massive cash prize. The award-winning series became Netflix’s biggest-ever series launch and racked up six Primetime Emmys for its debut season.

Casting is now open for “The Challenge” Season 2 at SquidGameCasting.com.