Mr. Beast’s Dystopian Games

The other week, I sat with my younger brother and watched Mr. Beast’s new game show on Amazon Prime Video. In his show, Beast Games, 1,000 contestants—dwindled from the 2,000 initial participants in his YouTube video—compete to win $5 million. They perform tasks ranging from merely stacking cubes to playing psychological warfare on each other to retain their chance at the jackpot. As I watched, I couldn’t help but feel uneasy about the mental anguish of the contestants—some living in their cars or trying to pay off their student loans—as they fought using everything in their power to continue their pursuit for life-changing money.

From the matching teal tracksuits with number identifiers instead of names to the black suits worn by those in charge, it’s clear that Mr. Beast, or Jimmy Donaldson, was inspired by Squid Game in creating the show. In the Korean Netflix series Squid Game, the VIPs are the viewers of the games, while the contestants—many impoverished and crippled by extreme debt—compete in various games for 456 billion won (₩), equivalent to around 38 million USD. However, if the contestants lose the game, they die. Watching Beast Games, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was gaining entertainment value from the struggles of contestants, many of whom deeply needed the prize money. While game shows have existed on American television since the middle of the twentieth century, Beast Games felt uniquely dystopian because it represents exactly what Squid Game was intended to critique: rich people using the poor as toys for their entertainment.

Squid Game’s focus on systemic injustice becomes diluted when its themes are turned into flashy, sanitized entertainment. The show was a cultural phenomenon because it reflected real-world struggles with economic inequality and systemic exploitation, making its commodification through reality TV deeply ironic. Netflix itself created its own version of Squid Games, where contestants competed for $4.65 million. One contestant remarked that the show was cruel, inhumane, and akin to a human horse race, especially regarding filming conditions. Four contestants alleged that the game was unexpectedly rigged, and that they had to film in cold sets for more than nine hours at a time, during which medical staff tended to several contestants. 

In the same vein, Beast Games had problems with chaos and disorganization during its production, exacerbated by the 2,000 contestant count. Some participants claim that there was inadequate food and medicine, as well as excruciatingly long hours. Lawsuits against Mr. Beast have claimed that filming conditions were horrid: contestants worked long hours at a time without being fed or given undergarments. The plaintiffs of the lawsuit also alleged that misogyny was encouraged on set, as in many physical games, women were consistently discriminated against. The cash prize hanging over their heads fueled the contestants to persevere despite the conditions. In their interviews, contestants would talk about retiring their parents or buying houses for their families. This desire to win pushed them through the harsh games, but the production team’s failure to provide a safe workplace created an unreasonable risk of physical and mental injury. The absence of adequate support turned the set into an environment where desperation was not just part of the game, but a real consequence.

The very idea of creating a “humane” Squid Game undermines the core message of the original show. Squid Game explores themes of class conflict, economic inequality, and the dark side of capitalism. One of its major messages is that under the status quo, anything—even the traumatization of people in poverty—can be sold as a commodity. This theme parallels other dystopian narratives like The Hunger Games, where the brutal, televised spectacle of children fighting to the death serves as a chilling commentary on systemic inequality and the desensitization of society to human suffering. These examples resonate with audiences by showing how exploitation is often disguised as thrilling entertainment, a disturbing reflection of reality. The class commentary is clear: the lower classes are essentially forced by their circumstances to continue playing a game for an enormous prize, even when faced with death as the consequence of elimination. Though Mr. Beast isn’t killing any contestants, the zoom-ins on eliminated contestants’ faces of misery and rage as they leave the game still exploit human suffering for content. This spectacle highlights the real-world desperation for financial gain. Morality is compromised in favor of viral content, raising concerns about the long-term impact on the show’s younger viewers. 

Mr. Beast’s rapid-fire content for middle schoolers with short attention spans may have landed him this multi-million dollar opportunity, but allegations ranging from crypto pump-and-dump schemes to workplace misconduct suggest his ethics are increasingly questionable. Mr. Beast’s character switches from a kind-hearted, selfless figure to a shady man of questionable moral character. From contestants’ concerning accounts and the irony of taking inspiration from Squid Game, Beast Games is inherently exploitative. It is crucial to teach young, impressionable viewers to question what they watch, to recognize when entertainment crosses into exploitation, and to understand that ethical considerations must outweigh shock value or spectacle. On a personal level, I had a productive conversation with my brother on the irony of watching a “real-life Squid Game.” As a part of the older audience, we have a unique responsibility. While it might be tempting to dismiss Beast Games as “just a show,” ignoring its implications only reinforces the harmful norms it perpetuates. Adults must take a stand by holding content creators like Mr. Beast accountable, engaging in thoughtful discussion about the ethics of their work, and pushing platforms like YouTube to consider the moral standards they uphold.

This moral issue highlights the importance of critically examining the media we consume and teaching younger generations to do the same. Additionally, advocacy is key. We must make choices that support ethical creators while calling out those who exploit others for profit. We can rethink how we engage with this kind of content—whether that means speaking out, supporting alternative creators, or choosing to stop clicking entirely. Mr. Beast’s platform has the potential to foster meaningful change, and some of his philanthropic efforts have been commendable. However, this newest venture is rightfully controversial as it raises a larger concern about balancing entertainment, competition, and empathy.