Are you ready for another new reality competition series? Because Beast Games will surely entertain, and this is what we know so far.
In modern television, there are plenty of reality competition shows that we all know about, whether it's the classic Survivor or a talent competition that follows the lives of competitors like the winners of America's Got Talent. But, regardless, they all have one goal—to make sure the viewer is entertained through the competition aspect.
One new series on Amazon Prime – Beast Games – intends to take that to the next level. But what is this new show about? And what's the prize amount? Here is what we know so far.
What Is The Beast Games Premiere Date?
At the time of this writing, in April 2024, Beast Games has no set premiere date, which isn't that much of a surprise. The news about the show releasing on Amazon Prime worldwide only came out a few weeks ago, in March 2024, so if there was already a set premiere date in mind, that would be pretty shocking.
That being said, it's almost a good thing that the show comes out later at some point because the Amazon Prime TV schedule is packed to the brim with both new and returning shows already. From the upcoming The Boys Season 4 to adding a new Fallout series, Amazon Prime is cooking with some great hits in 2024.
It would be a shame to see Beast Games go unnoticed next to these streaming behemoths, so it should be a huge hit when it inevitably comes out in the next year or so.
Jimmy Donaldson, AKA Mr. Beast, Will Host It
Jimmy Donaldson doesn't sound familiar to most, but maybe the channel name, "Mr. Beast," does. Donaldson is Mr. Beast, the most subscribed-to individual YouTuber around—with 248 million subscribers. Yes, you read that right—million.
What makes Mr. Beast even more impressive is that he is the only individual in the Top 5 Most-Subscribed channels to have started independently. Everyone else comes from a Brand Channel—like T-Series, the overall most-subscribed Indian music record label.
Mr. Beast, i.e., Donaldson, has turned his YouTube channel into an empire, producing countless pieces of merchandise, creating multiple businesses (one of which is a highly profitable chocolate company called Feastables), and is the mastermind behind several of the most extensive videos on the platform, many of which have received 100s of millions of views.
You might even know some of his most-known videos. Truly, he’s done everything, from recreating the chocolate factory from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, to getting people of every age to compete in a single competition, to even trying to survive on an abandoned island for an entire week with his friends. The limits of his creativity do not exist.
Donaldson released a statement about the upcoming show, which is said to be based on many of the challenges in his videos, saying he wants to create "the greatest show possible" and prove that there can be a crossover between social media stars and mainstream media:
My goal is to make the greatest show possible and prove YouTubers and creators can succeed on other platforms. Amazon gave me the creative control I need to try and make it happen. I hope to make the YouTube community proud.
There are plenty of great shows on Amazon Prime, but as a long-time fan of Mr. Beast, I believe he'll bring Beast Games to the next level. Honestly, this really might be the best game show we have seen in a long time.
Contestants Will Compete For $5 Million Dollars – The Biggest In Competition History
Cash prizes are always some of the biggest draws for anyone who watches reality competition shows, and Beast Games will be no exception. According to Amazon, the new show will have contestants competing in multiple challenges for a total prize of $5 million.
Amazon even confirmed that this is the most significant amount in game show history, which makes sense. Many of the most popular competition shows show cash prizes in the hundreds of thousands; if contestants are lucky, it'll be $1 million. But this is the first time we've seen something like this.
Beast Games Will Have 1000 Competitors
If you weren't interested in the most prominent cast prize in game show history, the fact that this show will have 1000 competitors might draw you in.
That's right. You read that perfectly. 1000.
For those wondering about comparisons, the number of competitors in the South Korean drama series Squid Game was 456. That was something that blew the minds of everyone watching. Donaldson's Beast Games will have more than doubled the amount.
Remember that Donaldson has done challenges with several hundred people before, even remaking Squid Game and bringing in the exact number of contestants from the show. But, we have never seen 1000 contestants. That blows my mind away.
Mr. Beast Says That Beast Games Will Be Like Squid Game: The Challenge "Times A Billion"
While this wasn't officially announced, Donaldson had the chance to talk about his new show with fellow online creators Colin and Samir on their podcast, The Colin and Samir Show, on YouTube in March 2024.
There, he talked about how the new series will be like the anxiety-producing but exciting Squid Game: The Challenge but also very different and many million times bigger:
It's completely different. It's in a whole different universe than what they did. It's like that but, I mean, on steroids times a billion.
If you're a fan of Mr. Beast, you'd be inclined to believe him with how massive his videos have gotten in the past. Squid Game: The Challenge was fun, and earned a Season 2 renewal, so I could see Beast Games trending in that same direction.
Truthfully, this makes me want to get Beast Games even more, so you better believe I will be counting down the days until we get more news – and maybe rewatching some of Mr. Beast's best videos.
