YouTube sensation MrBeast's upcoming show Beast Games has shattered a host of world records, it has been revealed—weeks before the series makes its debut.
At the age of 26, MrBeast—real name Jimmy Donaldson—holds the record for the most subscribers on YouTube, which as of press time exceeds 330 million. In January 2022, Forbes ranked him as the highest-earning content creator, with an estimated annual income of $54 million, drawn mostly from ads on his videos.
The social media star is now venturing into TV with the anticipated launch of his Prime Video show Beast Games, which is inspired by Netflix's South Korean hit Squid Game, a survival thriller series that saw cash-strapped characters fight for their lives as they competed for a gargantuan cash prize.
Ahead of Beast Games' December 19 release, MrBeast took to X, formerly Twitter, to share a photo of a stack of framed certificates from Guinness World Records.
"Guinness just dropped off some of the world records we broke while filming Beast Games," MrBeast wrote on Wednesday. "I'M SO EXCITED TO DROP THIS SHOW IN 22 DAYS." As of press time, the post has garnered more than 3.5 million views.
In subsequent comments shared on the platform, MrBeast listed some of the records broken by the show, writing: "Largest cash prize, Most contestants, Most cameras ever, Most money given away in a first episode, Most cables ran for a show, Largest island given away in show."
Due to the sheer scale of the production, hundreds of thousands of goods and equipment, including tents, sleeping bags, and sporting equipment, were donated to local businesses in Toronto once production concluded in the Canadian city.
Newsweek has contacted a representative of MrBeast via email for comment.
Earlier in the week, MrBeast shared a teaser trailer for Beast Games, which showed contestants dressed in blue tracksuits that feature their contestant numbers, reminiscent of Squid Game. The teaser also showed that the challenges involve, among other things, monster trucks, a pirate ship, and a helicopter.
He captioned the clip: "Here's a little teaser for Beast Games! I spent over a year creating this 10 episode competition series, breaking 40 world records, building the craziest sets in entertainment history, featuring 1,000 players, and a $5,000,000 grand prize! I poured everything I have into this show."
The X account for the entertainment news site Dexerto also shared the Beast Games teaser, prompting an X user to enquire: "Is this the same one where a lot of contestants complained of terrible conditions?"
Responding, MrBeast said: "We have tons of behind the scenes dropping when the show does to show how blown out of proportion these claims were. Just can't release it now because it would spoil the games."
In September, it was announced that a lawsuit has been filed against MrBeast's companies and the production arm of Amazon. The suit involves participants in MrBeast's reality competition show and alleges multiple labor law violations, false advertising and unfair business practices.
Five contestants are suing the social media star, alleging "unreasonable, unsafe and unlawful employment conditions." The participants say they were deprived of medical care, food, sleep and the necessities of basic hygiene. The filing alleges that production staff created a "toxic" work environment and that women experienced "sexual harassment."
According to a news release from the complainants' lawyers, those sections were redacted to comply with the "confidentiality provisions" that the competitors signed.
Some of the plaintiffs also allege that they have not been paid for participating in the show.
Greg Selkoe, who previously served as president of esports and entertainment organization FaZe Clan, recently told Newsweek that MrBeast's popularity has continued to grow despite controversies because he's an "earnest, sincere, and authentic guy who wants to do the right thing and wants to learn and improve."
"MrBeast is an icon and pioneer in lifestyle and gaming related content," Selkoe said. "Building a multibillion-dollar brand comes with inevitable challenges. What matters is how those challenges are addressed. His track record of bringing joy to fans, raising awareness for important causes, and contributing millions to charitable initiatives demonstrates the overall positive impact of his work."
Beast Games isn't the only project that MrBeast has worked on inspired by Squid Game. The YouTuber's most popular video to date is a 2021 real-life recreation of the popular show that featured a $456,000 prize for the winner. It has garnered more than 670 million views as of press time.
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