Beast Games, Mr. Beast’s most recent project, has drawn criticism after competitors complained about hazardous and chaotic filming conditions. The production crew behind the YouTube star acknowledged to the problems and promised to make future events better.
Beast Games overview
1,000 competitors compete for a $5 million cash prize in Beast Games, a reality competition that MrBeast and Amazon MGM Studios co-created in March. This prize surpasses Netflix’s Squid Game: The Challenge’s $4.56 million, making it the largest single payout in TV history.
Contestant complaints
The New York Times reports that during the first Beast Games season, which filmed at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, more than a dozen competitors reported a number of problems, claiming they were forced to forgo necessary medications, suffer from insufficient food and receive subpar medical attention.
They also complained about physically demanding tasks, such as moving large things and a highly competitive game of capture the flag.
One contestant told the Times, “We signed up for the show, but we didn’t sign up for not being fed or watered or treated like human beings.”
Production team’s response
The production team at MrBeast acknowledged the problems and attributed them to a number of unexpected challenges.
A spokesman emphasized their commitment to learning from this experience and guaranteeing better conditions in the future, saying, “The MrBeast promotional video shoot, which included over 2,000 participants, was unfortunately complicated by the CrowdStrike incident, extreme weather, and other unexpected logistical and communications issues.”
Specific issues faced
Participants mentioned a number of particular issues, including limited access to food and medical supplies. Meals were reportedly minimal, with one meal consisting of “a tiny portion of cold oatmeal, one hard-boiled egg, and a few pieces of raw vegetables.”
In addition, contestants had to turn in personal belongings, such as prescription drugs, which were not promptly returned. Due to the overnight shoot and lack of a quiet spot to relax during the day, many people had trouble falling asleep.
Production moving forward
Despite these challenges, the production team remains optimistic about future events. They have communicated directly with most of the participants to gather feedback and have launched a formal review of the process.
The spokesperson added, “We are grateful that virtually all of those invited to Toronto for our next production have enthusiastically accepted our invitation.”
Image courtesy: MrBeast