The song was remastered and released as the lead single from his 2012 compilation album, Trilogy, on October 22, 2012, through XO and Republic Records.

[citation needed] The audio for the original version of "Wicked Games" was released on the Weeknd's YouTube on March 5, 2011.

[1] In 2012, its House of Balloons version would be promoted as the lead single from the mixtape, being sent to rhythmic contemporary radio stations on September 25, 2012.

[2] The song's remastered version was officially released through streaming services on October 22, 2012, as the lead single from his compilation album, Trilogy (2012).

The video starts off with a young woman dancing seductively in a coat with no clothes underneath, before the camera pans to The Weeknd, who is shown singing expressively.