MrBeast’s Beast Games finally hit Prime Video, with a thoroughly massive pool of contestants (and an even bigger cash prize). But, in order to get at that prize, contestants had to make it past hundreds of other competitors.
In the series, 1,000 contestants competed in various challenges for a $5M cash prize. The series reportedly had a production cost of $100M, including the $14M construction of “Beast City” in Toronto, Canada, where the competition took place.
The first two episodes of Beast Games’ first season released December 19 on Amazon Prime Video, with new episodes every Thursday until February 13, 2025.
The project hasn’t escaped controversy, however, with reports of hospitalized crew members and contestants suing over “inhumane conditions.”
As the game show proceeds, we’ll keep you updated on the game show’s various challenges and rules. In the meantime, here’s a comprehensive guide to all the eliminations as the pool of contestants whittle down.
Episode 1 challenges
Pre-game challenge
Before the competition began, contestants were given the opportunity to remove themselves from the competition to split a surprise additional $1M. 52 exited, leaving 948 in the running for the grand total.
Episode 1, Challenge 1
The first official challenge saw rows of contestants compete as teams. To avoid total team elimination, a member had to voluntarily sacrifice themselves and leave the game. 243 exited, leaving 705 contestants.
Players who sacrificed themselves left empty-handed. Ultimately, three entire rows of contestants had no members willing to leave the game, resulting in all three rows being eliminated dramatically, dropping them into the platform.
Episode 1, Challenge 2
This challenge required contestants to stack blocks atop a red starting block in under 10 minutes without towers falling, playing until 100 towers fell. 100 more exited, leaving 605 contestants.
The bottom of the tower was a narrow, tall block. In addition to stacking prowess, competitors needed to avoid any rogue movements that could topple the delicate tower, bringing many competitors to tears of frustration.
Episode 1, Challenge 3
In another psychological, MrBeast offered growing bribes to contestants. The catch: if someone took a bribe, their row was eliminated. Another 112 exited, leaving 493 contestants.
The first episode concluded with another test of competitors’ cooperative spirit, as individuals weight their own altruism, self-interest, and the trust they have in their team, as MrBeast kept upping the bribe amount, with his goal being to bring the remaining contestants under 500 competitors. It worked.
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Episode 2 challenges
Episode 2, Challenge 1
The first challenge of Episode 2 saw players divided into two teams, having to catch red balls falling from the ceiling. 62 exited, leaving 431 contestants.
The second episode introduced a large, multi-floor building, with players given tokens that place them onto one of two teams. If the teams dropped falling red balls, they lost.
Episode 2, Challenge 2
Yet another self-elimination challenge, the team had to convince members to voluntarily leave the competition, with the smallest team winning at the countdown’s end. 65 exited, leaving 366 contestants.
Complicating factors, floors spent most of the challenge unable to see the other team. A set of red phones allowed communications between teams, which allowed strategic options from inter-team co-operation to deception.
Episode 2, Challenge 3
This time, two teams dropped balls a long distance below into a massive red Solo cup, with one shot each, to score their team points and avoid team elimination. 61 exited, leaving 305 contestants.
We’ve moved on from children’s games and social experiments and into undergrad party turf, in a giant game of alcohol-free beer pong. In addition to the large solo cup, players could attempt to hit a more difficult gold cup to net $250k for themselves.
Episode 2, Challenge 4
A trivia challenge had two teams divided into groups of four, competing against groups of four from the other team, highest scoring team wins. 63 exited, leaving 242 contestants.
Overall, both teams did pretty well for themselves, prompting a harder set of questions. Ultimately questions about roman numerals, planetary moons, and iPods kept the Orange Team in the game.
Episode 2, Challenge 5
The second episode had the four surviving teams picking captains. Those captains faced increasingly large bribes if they’d be willing to stay in the game but send their teams home. If no captains took bribes by challenge end, everyone moved on.
Check in after the Thursday, December 26 episode to see if any captains betrayed their teams. We’ll keep you updated each week on the new challenges and rules, and stay tuned here as the pool of contestants shrinks each week.
