You've probably seen the TikTok clips. A hundred players in matching tracksuits, a giant creepy doll, and a hail of gunfire the second someone flinches during Red Light, Green Light. It looks chaotic. It looks impossible for a game like Call of Duty. But honestly, playing Squid Game on COD is one of those things that proves the gaming community is way more creative than the developers sometimes.
It isn't an official mode. Activision didn't sit down and code a "Glass Bridge" map for the Season 2 update. Instead, this is a grassroots movement fueled by the Custom Game engine and, more recently, the massive capabilities of Modern Warfare III and Black Ops 6 lobby systems. If you're looking for a menu button that says "Squid Game," you're going to be looking forever. You have to know where to go and who to follow.
Getting Into the Right Lobbies
The biggest hurdle is actually finding a match. Since there is no matchmaking queue for custom creations, you’re basically at the mercy of the "Party Finder" feature or Discord communities. Most players trying to figure out how to play Squid Game on COD end up frustrated because they try to host it themselves without any friends. That doesn't work. You need a full lobby to make it feel like the show.
Check the "Find a Party" tool in the social menu. Look for tags like "Casual," "Minigames," or "Customs." Often, creators will name their party something obvious like "SQUID GAME RED LIGHT" to attract players. If that fails, the r/CallOfDuty or dedicated COD Customs Discord servers are your best bet. People post "hosting now" links constantly.
Once you're in, the rules are usually enforced by a host with a very itchy trigger finger. It’s playground rules, basically. If the host says stay behind the line and you don't, they'll just kick you or end the round. It's primitive, but it works surprisingly well.
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The Maps and Game Modes That Make It Work
Content creators like NoahJ456 or Hope have historically showcased these "minigame" styles, often using the Forge-like tools in recent titles or specific map layouts that mimic the show's aesthetic.
For Red Light, Green Light, hosts usually use a long, flat map like Das Haus or the shipping lanes in Shipment. One player—the "Doll"—stands at the far end with their back turned. Everyone else has to prune, crawl, or sprint toward the finish line. When the Doll turns around, anyone caught moving is executed. Usually, the Doll uses a sniper rifle or a high-accuracy pistol to pick people off. It's tense. It’s also hilarious when ten people die at once because of a slight server lag.
The Trial of the Glass Bridge
This one is harder to pull off without specific mods, but creative players use the "Dolphin Dive" mechanic to jump between platforms. In some custom maps created in the MWIII cycle, players used deployable covers or specific environmental assets to create a path. Half are "safe," half are "death." If you jump on the wrong one, the host shoots you, or you fall out of bounds.
Tug of War and the Knife Fight
Tug of War is usually reimagined as a literal "push" toward a center point using riot shields. Two teams face off. The goal is to force the other team back past a certain line. If your team crosses the line, you lose. The "Final Game" is almost always a 1v1 knife fight in a small, enclosed circle made of Trophy Systems or parked vehicles.
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Technical Setup for Hosts
If you want to host Squid Game on COD yourself, you've got to tweak the settings perfectly. Go into Custom Games and set the health to "Tier 1" (Hardcore) settings. You want one-shot kills. It adds to the stakes. Turn off mini-maps. Turn off health regeneration.
- Move Speed: Bump it up to 110% for extra chaos.
- Time Limit: Unlimited.
- Restricted Weapons: Melee only for players, Snipers only for the "Guards."
You basically act as the Game Master. You need a few friends to act as the "pink soldiers" who stand on the sidelines to ensure nobody cheats. It’s essentially digital roleplay. Without the "guards" enforcing the rules, it just turns into a standard Team Deathmatch, which ruins the vibe immediately.
Why People Are Obsessed With This
It’s the stakes. Call of Duty is usually so fast-paced that individual lives don't matter. You die, you respawn, you go again. In these custom Squid Game lobbies, once you're out, you're out. You have to sit in the spectator seat and watch your friends struggle. That spectator pressure makes the "Red Light" segments genuinely nerve-wracking.
There's also the social aspect. Proximity chat is a requirement here. Hearing someone scream as they accidentally mantle over a box when they were supposed to stay still is pure comedy. It’s a break from the "sweaty" SBMM (Skill-Based Matchmaking) environment of standard multiplayer.
Common Problems and How to Fix Them
Lag is your enemy. In a game of Red Light, Green Light, a 50ms spike can make it look like you moved when you didn't. Most veteran hosts will give a "grace period" of about half a second after they turn around.
Then there are the "trolls." There is always one guy who brings a Frag Grenade to a knife fight. As a host, you have to be ruthless. Use the "Kick Player" function immediately. It sounds harsh, but it's the only way to keep the game functional. Also, make sure everyone is using the same Operator skin if possible—or at least similar colors—to keep the immersion high.
The Best Titles for Squid Game Customs
Right now, Modern Warfare III (2023) and the current Black Ops 6 ecosystem are the best places for this. The movement mechanics—specifically the omnimovement in Black Ops 6—add a whole new layer to the "games." Being able to dive sideways or backward while trying to stop on a dime makes Red Light, Green Light much more tactical.
Previous titles like Vanguard or the original Warzone had versions of this, but the current engine allows for much better custom lobby customization. If you're on an older title, you're likely going to struggle to find a full lobby of 20+ people willing to coordinate.
Setting Up the Final Round
When you get down to the last two players, don't just let them shoot each other. That's boring. Take them to a specific spot on the map—like the center of Rust—and have them drop all weapons except for a combat knife.
Throw a smoke grenade in the middle. Tell them they have to stay inside the smoke. It creates this cinematic, gritty finale that feels way more like the show's ending than a random gunfight.
Actionable Steps to Join the Chaos
Stop looking for an official playlist update. It’s not coming. Instead, start by joining the "COD Customs" groups on Facebook or searching "Squid Game COD" on TikTok Live. Many streamers host these lobbies for their viewers and provide join codes in the chat.
Before you jump in, make sure your microphone is working and your "Proximity Chat" is toggled on in the audio settings. Most hosts will kick silent players because communication is half the fun. If you're hosting, set your lobby to "Private" once you hit 20 players to prevent randoms from joining mid-game and ruining the rules. Experiment with different maps; sometimes the most "boring" looking maps like Derail provide the best long-distance sightlines for the guards to monitor movement.