Beast Games: Difference between revisions

{{Short description|Reality television series by MrBeast and Amazon Prime}}

| num_seasons = 1

'''''Beast Games''''' is a [[reality competition]] [[television series]] created by [[MrBeast|Jimmy Donaldson]], Tyler Conklin, Sean Klitzner, and Mack Hopkins. Hosted by Donaldson, ''Beast Games'' follows 1,000 contestants—the largest cast for a reality show—as they compete for the prize of over $5 million, which is advertised as one of the largest single money show prizeprizes in reality television history.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Evans |first=Greg |date=2024-12-21 |title=MrBeast says allegations against controversial show are ‘not true’ in new footage |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/mrbeast-beast-games-allegations-response-b2668382.html |access-date=2024-12-24 |website=The Independent |language=en}}</ref>{{efn|The highest money prize in game show history was $100 million, offered in a 2007 episode of ''[[Deal or No Deal]]'', called "Hershey's Kisses 100th Anniversary $100,000,000 Spectacular;" however, that prize was not won.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://ftp.thefutoncritic.com/listings/20071105nbc14/|title=Listings &#124; TheFutonCritic.com - The Web's Best Television Resource|website=ftp.thefutoncritic.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news/2007/10/29/nbc-sweeps-into-november-with-green-is-universal-week-25849/20071029nbc01/|title=Breaking News - NBC Sweeps Into November with 'Green Is Universal' Week &#124; TheFutonCritic.com|website=www.thefutoncritic.com}}</ref>}}

TheInspired by ''[[Squid Game]]'' and Donaldson's [[viral video]] "[[$456,000 Squid Game in Real Life!|$456,000 ''Squid Game'' in Real Life!]]",<ref name="Variety" /><ref name="IGNReview" /><ref name="Guardian" /><ref name="Vox" /> the first two episodes of ''Beast Games'' were released on [[Amazon Prime Video]] on December 19, 2024, and the full series will consist of ten episodes that will be released weekly on Thursdays. On the same day, Jimmy Donaldson also released the tryout for the game show on his YouTube channel titled "2,000 People Fight for $5,000,000" where he cuts the number of people participating from 2,000 to 1,000 in a series of challenges.

{{Episode table |background=# 0042B5 |total_width=auto |overall=No. overall |title= |airdate= |released=y |dontclose=y

| Title = The Golden Ticket

| Title = Fight to Win a Private Island

Filming began with the first round, which was shot through July 18–22, 2024, inside of [[Allegiant Stadium]] in [[Las Vegas]], with a total of 2,000 contestants attending. This round is released on YouTube.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Evans |first=Greg |date=2024-09-27 |title=MrBeast's game show staff call for YouTuber to be 'blacklisted' for 'unprofessional' incidents on set |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/mrbeast-beast-games-las-vegas-b2619966.html |access-date=2024-11-27 |work=[[The Independent]] |archive-date=December 2, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241202211257/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/mrbeast-beast-games-las-vegas-b2619966.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The second round that was featured in the first 4 episodes of the TV series was filmed with the remaining 1,000 contestants at [[Downsview Park|Downsview Park Studios]] in [[Toronto]], [[Ontario]], Canada in August of that year.<ref name="Variety">{{Cite web |last=Spangler |first=Todd |date=2024-11-25 |title=MrBeast's Controversial 'Beast Games' Sets Prime Video Premiere Date, Releases Teaser Trailer for 'Squid Games'-Inspired Competition Show |url=https://variety.com/2024/tv/news/mrbeast-beast-games-premiere-date-prime-video-trailer-1236222911/ |access-date=2024-11-25 |website=Variety |language=en-US |archive-date=November 26, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241126191331/https://variety.com/2024/tv/news/mrbeast-beast-games-premiere-date-prime-video-trailer-1236222911/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Jones |first=Alexandra Mae |date=2024-08-26 |title=A miniature village has appeared in Toronto. It's the set of beleaguered MrBeast's reality TV series |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/mrbeast-downsview-set-1.7305226 |access-date=2024-11-27 |work=[[CBC News]] |archive-date=November 26, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241126184546/https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/mrbeast-downsview-set-1.7305226 |url-status=live }}</ref>

According to a December 2024 ''[[Rolling Stone|]]''Rolling Stone'']] report on the working conditions for Beast Games published earlier that month, a portion of a tower exterior fell on a crew member on September 11, 2024. Later that month, the [[Ontario Ministry of Labour]] confirmed that it had opened an investigation into an on-set industrial incident on September 11, 2024. It stated that two of the employers, Blink 49 Studios and Manhattan Beach Studios, were each issued a "requirement." The [[Toronto Police Service]] also released a statement saying that they had been called to set for the incident but were not investigating as there was not a criminal element.<ref>{{Cite news |date=December 30, 2024 |title=Ontario labour ministry investigating injury on Toronto set of 'Beast Games' |url=https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/ontario-labour-ministry-investigating-injury-on-toronto-set-of-beast-games-1.7160474 |access-date=December 30, 2024 |work=[[CTV News]] |agency=[[The Canadian Press]]}}</ref>

On review aggregator website [[Rotten Tomatoes]], the series has an approval rating of 1713% based on 68 critic reviews, with an average rating of 3.08/10.<ref name=":2RTScore">{{Cite web |title=Beast Games {{!}} Rotten Tomatoes |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/beast_games |access-date=2024-12-27 |website=www.rottentomatoes.com |language=en}}</ref>

The show was received poorly after the release of its first two episodes. Several reviewers critiqued Donaldson's performance as loud and shallow and the show's lack of focus on its contestants.<ref name=":0IGNReview">{{Cite web |last=Hutchinson |first=Chase |date=2024-12-19 |title=Beast Games Review |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/beast-games-review-mr-beast-prime-video |access-date=2024-12-22 |website=[[IGN]] |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Power |first=Ed |date=2024-12-20 |title=Beast Games, review: $100 million worth of charmless YouTube nonsense |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/2024/12/20/beast-games-amazon-prime-video-review/ |access-date=2024-12-22 |work=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |language=en-GB |issn=0307-1235}}</ref><ref name=":1RealityBlurredReview">{{Cite web |last=Dehnart |first=Andy |date=2024-12-20 |title=Beast Games: So much screaming and crying, so little to care about |url=https://www.realityblurred.com/realitytv/2024/12/beast-games-amazon-prime-video-review/ |access-date=2024-12-22 |website=Reality Blurred |language=en-US}}</ref> ''[[IGN]]'', ''[[The Guardian|]]''The Guardian'']] and [[AndyVox DehnartMedia|Vox]] madecriticized unfavorablethe comparisonsshow tofor closely following the premise of ''[[Squid Game]]'' while ignoring the show's message.<ref name=":0IGNReview" /><ref name="Guardian">{{Cite news |last=Heritage |first=Stuart |date=2024-12-20 |title=Beast Games review – one of the most undignified spectacles ever shown on TV |url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2024/dec/20/beast-games-review-one-of-the-most-undignified-spectacles-ever-shown-on-tv |access-date=2024-12-24 |work=[[The Guardian]] |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref><ref name=":1Vox">{{Cite web |last=Jennings |first=Rebecca |date=2025-01-07 |title=I can’t stop watching Mr. Beast’s new game show and I hate myself |url=https://www.vox.com/culture/393691/beast-games-review-mr-beast-episodes-prime-video |access-date=2025-01-08 |website=[[Vox (media)|Vox]] |language=en-US}}</ref> Katie Notopoulos of ''[[Business Insider]]'' enjoyed the show, but she worried that it could communicate to children the lack of value in money. [[Metacritic]], which uses a [[weighted average]], assigned a score of 38 out of 100 based on 5 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable" reviews.<ref>{{Cite Metacritic|id=beast-games|type=tv|season=1|access-date=December 23, 2024|publisher_hide=y}}</ref>

{{reflist}}{{MrBeast}}