Netflix's "Squid Game 2" has hit a significant bump on the road as freshly released reports reveal that the series has amassed more than 28 million views on illegal streaming websites.
Reportedly, the sequel costs more than $68 million to produce so there are fears that wide-spread piracy could hit its bottom line.
Released on December 26, "Squid Game 2" rapidly grew into a box office sensation in 93 countries over just two days.
Now, the success is undercut by worries over the high levels of piracy, especially on homegrown streaming sites like TV Mong and Hoohoo TB, as reported by WikiTree.
The scale of the problem is highlighted by other industry sources, revealing that the finale episode of the series has received over 28.2 million views on Hoohoo TV alone.
The high definition quality of the film and several subtitle options have allowed foreign viewers to obtain the content easily and illegally.
Seo Kyung-deok, a professor at Sungshin Women's University, criticized the situation, saying that "online watching without permission has already become a normal phenomenon, especially in China, where Netflix is not available."
Read more: 'Squid Game' Creator Defends T.O.P.'s Acting Amidst Criticism: 'It Took Him a Lot of Guts'
He continued, noting that viewers don't think there's a problem streaming illegally, and added, "It's outrageous to have no shame whatsoever."
To counter the copyright abusers, the South Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism arrested a person who was running a huge illegal streaming site.
But new sites spring up every day, making it harder to enforce. Moreover, most of these places function abroad, which tends to make it imposing to block them.
Netflix said it was disappointed over the illegal availability of work that deep down represents the efforts of creatives that make them together.
The company is a member of the international copyright protection organization ACE and is taking action against piracy.
Experts fear that while the world remains enthralled by "Squid Game 2," the ramifications of piracy present a significant danger to not only the show's potential profits but also the overall system of digital content distribution.
