YouTuber MrBeast reveals photos of $14 million ‘city’ he built as part of Amazon reality show ‘Beast Games’
MrBeast has shared some photos of the $14 million “city” he built as part of his upcoming video game, “Beast Games”.
“We spent $14,000,000 building a city on a field for Beast Games competitors to live and compete in,” MrBeast, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson, wrote on X, along with four photos of the team. “December 19th is almost here 🥰”
Donaldson, the most popular star on YouTube with 335 million subscribers, has already shared some details about the scale of the “Beast Games” production.
In an interview with fellow YouTubers KSI and Logan Paul, Donaldson revealed that he “spent well over $100 million” on the show and recently shared that the production broke 40 world records.
Amazon has also promoted “Beast Games” as “the world’s largest live-action video game” with the “largest single prize in the history of television and streaming” of $5 million.
It will air on Prime Video on December 19, and Amazon is counting on it to jump-start its video ad sales efforts, attracting a wide audience and luring advertisers.
In a post on X, Donaldson was asked how he intended to recoup the money he spent on “Beast Games”.
“The goal is to make the best content possible, not to make money,” he replied.
In the trailer, which was released on December 6, Donaldson promised that “Beast Games” will be “the craziest competition show you’ve ever seen,” with 1,000 contestants. The clips included shots of the $5 million grand prize, a giant pirate ship, monster trucks, Navy SEALs and stunts.
One of the photos Donaldson shared was a “portrayal of the city,” with mulch running around the outside.
“We ran out of time and didn’t have time to build the ditch,” he said in response to a question in X. “But everything else is expensive.”
The CBC reported in September that the purpose-built “city” is located in Toronto.
Toronto city hall’s film and entertainment department confirmed to the agency that the venue exists, but declined to comment further for “confidentiality reasons.”
Donaldson’s representative told BI that Donaldson donated many of the items used in the shoot, including mattresses, sleeping bags and clothing, to local organizations after the shoot ended.
Paramedics and firefighters confirmed to the CBC that they were aware of the production, and police told the agency that the department’s explosives disposal unit had been consulted.
CBC drone footage showed a large concrete tower and two rows of one-story houses surrounded by a red wall.
“Beast Games” is in line with Amazon’s strategy to increase spending on entertainment and sports content.
However, the coverage of the show was not entirely smooth. Both Donaldson and the set conditions are receiving bad press.
Some contestants told The New York Times that they were not given enough food and had to wait hours or sometimes days to get their medicine or basic hygiene items. They also said that several contestants were injured during trials and many required medical treatment. Five competitors are seeking class action status for a lawsuit they filed in September alleging unsafe working conditions.