WARNING: BEAST GAMES SPOILERS BELOW!
2,000 people fight for $5,000,000
Before there could be Beast Games, there had to be a battlefield. Starting with 2,000 contestants at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, the goal was simple: survive four brutal challenges to secure one of 1,000 golden tickets to officially be on Beast Games, the brand new competition series by the YouTube megastar, Jimmy Donaldson, aka MrBeast, which premiered today on Prime Video.
Beast Games is a competition where contestants take on extreme challenges for the chance to win life-altering cash prizes. But they are faced with gut-wrenching decisions along the way, making the show unlike anything else.
Think your family game night gets intense? 2,000 People Fight For $5,000,000 – aka the pre-episode – was chaos. Absolute, glorious chaos.
Let’s recap the madness.
Challenge 1: Rolling the odds
Imagine dragging a 10,000-pound boulder across the finish line with 399 other people who may or may not have skipped leg day. The slowest team got the boot, but hey, at least they walked away with $2,000 each, courtesy of MoneyLion.
Challenge 2: Briefcases, memory, and fate
Contestants were shown a grid of briefcases, some marked “safe” and others “eliminated.” They had seconds to memorize the layout before rushing to claim one. If your briefcase was “eliminated,” so were you. Fifty players from each team were sent packing.
Challenge 3: The final grab
1,400 players. 1,100 flags. You do the math. This was a game of speed, strategy, and sheer determination. By the end, 300 more hopefuls were sent packing, and alliances started to show cracks as the competition heated up.
Challenge 4: The trust test
And then there were platforms. Stand still, don’t step off, and definitely don’t let MrBeast’s bribes — starting at $5,000 and climbing to $1 million — tempt you into betraying your entire team. One contestant couldn’t resist and jumped before the timer even started, eliminating themselves and 99 furious teammates. Brutal. Just Brutal.
Recap of Beast Games Episode I on Prime Video
Sacrifices, towers, and a record-breaking bribe
Before Beast Games really even began, MrBeast offered contestants a chance to take an upfront share of $1 million. Contestant 177, Steven England, was the first to cash out. He was a millionaire for a moment until 51 others followed suit. The deserters took home about $19,320 – shrinking the field to 948 contestants.
Suckers or practical geniuses? What would you have done? Taken the safe money or stayed in for glory and a shot at the ultimate prize: $5 million!
BTW, if you think winning BIG cash should involve less running, we’ve got just the thing. Enter the MoneyLion Beast Games Giveaway* for a chance to win $4M+ from the comfort of your own home.
What came next? Pain. 🙁
For the first real challenge of Beast Games, the contestants were grouped into rows. Every row of contestants had to choose someone to sacrifice so the rest could stay in the game. The catch? The last three rows to decide were out completely.
Surprisingly, some players stepped up willingly for the greater good of their rows. Restoring faith in humanity for some and raising eyebrows for others.
But then, out of nowhere — platforms started dropping, sending the lambs into the abyss.
It was a bittersweet moment, but those left standing were ready for whatever came next.
The trembling towers
The next challenge had contestants stacking colorful blocks onto a wobbly red base and building as high as possible while trying to keep the towers steady. The first 100 towers to topple? Eliminated, of course.
“Here’s a little behind the scenes,” explained MrBeast. “This is our control room with all the guards, and they’re not going to stop until they’ve timestamped every tower falling, using our world record holding 1,107 camera system to find out which 100 towers fell first and who is going home.”The control room watched the contestants with hawk-like attention, revealing that over 100 towers had toppled over, triggering those contestants’ platforms to turn red. The remaining contestants rejoiced as they were in the clear and would live to compete another day.
The final challenge: A bribe to remember
“This is it,” MrBeast announced. “Whoever makes it through this challenge will officially move into Beast City. The only problem? The city has 500 beds, and there are over 600 of you. So, we’re gonna play a little game…a bribe game.”
The rules were simple: contestants in rows could take a bribe to eliminate themselves and their row. “All you have to do is take your hand, push that button, and you’ll instantly be brought briefcases full of money.”
Like a game of high-stakes musical chairs, except instead of music, there’s money.
Chaos broke out as players promised loyalty, hid their hands, and avoided the button. But as bribes climbed—$20K, $50K, $100K—players cracked, leaving only 500 standing.In the process, Beast Games gave away $2 million, breaking the record for the most money ever handed out in a single episode.
Recommended: Beast Games Episode 2 Recap: Big Risks, Big Drama, and $250,000 Up for Grabs
The key financial takeaway: The value of timing
From quick decisions during tower stacking to sacrifices in the team vote, Episode 01 emphasized the importance of acting at the right moment. The same goes for money — whether paying off debt or investing, timing can significantly impact the outcome.
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What’s next for Beast Games?
Next up is Beast City. A $15 million custom-built island featuring pirate ships, helicopters, and God only knows what else.
The stakes are sky-high, the drama is palpable, and the scale is massive.
The bar isn’t just being — it’s being launched into orbit.
Tune in to Prime Video for more episodes!
Beast Games contestants aren’t the only ones walking away with cash — Enter the MoneyLion Beast Games Giveaway* for your very own shot at a $4M+ prize pool. All you have to do is click, and you’re in it to win it. No pushing boulders or stacking towers required. Promise.
