With 1,000 competitors gunning for a cash prize of $5 million, Beast Games was, by no surprise, dubbed the biggest reality TV competition of all time – making the likes of Survivor and The X Factor pale in comparison. Airing on February 13, just six contestants were left as the series approached its grand finale, with the winner’s life undoubtedly set to change for good. Particularly since one contestant risked a coin toss which could have seen him eliminated, but actually called ‘tails’ correctly and doubled the prize money to $10 million.
Inspired by the dystopian television series Squid Game, the show – which is hosted and created by the biggest YouTuber of all time, MrBeast (real name Jimmy Donaldson) – challenges its contestants to lengthy rounds of high-stakes physical, trivia and mental challenges to be in with a chance of winning its landmark prize. Not only that, but the show deploys some twists that can only be described as, well, savage. Along its ten episodes, contestants are forced to self-sacrifice, cut the dreams of their friends and fellow participants short and bribe their way to a future in the competition.
The series hasn’t been without its controversy, though. Since it began airing on Amazon Prime in December, former contestants have come forward, via a lawsuit, to accuse Donaldson and the show’s crew of denying them food, water and suitable sleeping arrangements during filming. They also allege that they suffered mistreatment, sexual harassment and injuries sustained during their time on the show.
With the final just around the corner, let’s take a look at the winner, and the most memorable (and cruellest) moments from the series.
There were six contestants in with a shot at taking the prize, all of whom have survived the show’s intense challenges and who had to bribe their way into the finale with the cash prizes they’ve amassed earlier in the series. The contestants were:
- Gage (Player 974), ambulance paramedic
- Twana (Player 830), actress and professional wrestler
- Emma (Player 937 , receptionist
- Yesenia (Player 947), medical assistant
- Jeff (Player 831), father
- Cortney (Player 424), freelance photographer
After Gage managed to win the coin toss and double the prize money, he made it down to the final three with Jeff and Twana, before accepting one of Mr Beast’s bribes to accept $1 million and walk away from the competition.
That left it down to just Jeff and Twana.
The final game involved the pair being confronted by ten briefcases, one of which would have the cheque for $10 million inside. Jeff turned his back and putting on a blindfold while Twana was shown the briefcase with the cheque in it; she then moved the briefcases around. Jeff had to turn and make a guess as to which briefcase it was in.
Trying to read Twana’s expressions, he moved a few different briefcases in front of him, before settling on number 6. Which turned out to be the correct one. On his very first go.
Twana was left in tears while Jeff celebrated with his wife and son. He had been one of the favourites to win since he was going to use the money to help find a cure for Creatine Transporter Deficiency, a rare medical condition that his son suffers from.
And as a consolation prize, Twana was also given $100,000. Overall, Mr Beast said he had given $20 million to 85 players (out of 1000 who begun) over the course of what was a controversial series.
What are the most memorable moments from Beast Games?
The larger-than-life show has had its fair share of shocking moments, including the very first challenge contestants faced. Split into rows of 80 players, one player in each row had to sacrifice themselves and leave the game so their fellow contestants could progress through the competition.
If a player in a row didn’t self-sacrifice in the time limit, the entire row of 80 players were eliminated through trap doors, closely resembling a Squid Game challenge (although nobody falls to their death on this show, should we say). In the end, three entire rows – so 240 contestants – were eliminated.
Another memorable moment came when one contestant, 44-year-old Mia, won a 60-acre private island in Panama after being triumphant in a number of challenges, including successfully hiding from Navy Seals on the island and surviving a popularity contest by her fellow players. Other prizes won by contestants included a Lamborghini and cash prizes in the hundreds of thousands.
Backstabbing and manipulation are commonplace on the show too, especially in the third episode. For this episode’s task, groups of players were locked in a room with a handcuff attached to the wall. They had to decide on one person to handcuff to the wall (thereby eliminating them from the competition), otherwise the entire group would have to exit.
Contestants were allowed to request anything they wanted to the room to help them make a decision – with some ordering playing cards and dice (some also ordered hot tubs and puppies to take a moment to indulge, however). Other plays took the opportunity to cheat, though. One helped her friend win a game of uno (allowing her to continue in the competition), while another boycotted the games and forced his whole team to lose. Two brothers angered viewers when they tricked their fellow teammate into putting the handcuffs on, thereby eliminating her from the competition.
Will there be a season 2 of Beast Games?
It has not yet been confirmed whether Amazon will commission a second season of Beast Games, though Mr Beast recently suggested he’d do it with or without Amazon: “’I’m doing it. Now I love working with Prime Video, so I’m sure we’re going to do it with them.”
