GWR interviews MrBeast before season two premiere of the record-breaking Beast Games
Just before season two of the electric series Beast Games premieres this 7 January on Amazon Prime Video, we had a chat with the show’s creator and GWR Icon MrBeast to discuss the ins-and-outs of making the record-breaking spectacle.
And with 44 record titles already under their belt from season one, we’re sure the next season will live up to the hype – as it promises to bring higher stakes, new twists, and an exciting cast of participants battling it out for a $5 million (£3.75 million) prize in a “Smartest vs Strongest” competition.
So how exactly do they bring the story to life? There’s nobody better to ask than the show’s host Jimmy “MrBeast” Donaldson (USA), who has made his career by creating wild challenges and thrilling prizes.
“I started making videos in my bedroom when I was 12,” he explained to GWR. “To go from that to creating a record-breaking show watched around the world… it doesn’t even feel real sometimes.”
Following the success of MrBeast’s viral social media posts – which led to him collecting world records for the most subscribers on YouTube and the first person to reach 1 million followers on Threads – the star debuted the first season of Beast Games in 2024 to a massive audience on Amazon Prime.
Featuring physical and mental challenges like quizzes and potato sack races, over 1,000 contestants competed against each other for the chance to win $5 million (£3.75 million) – the largest prize fund awarded for a competitive reality TV show.
And throughout the nail-biting episodes, Beast Games enraptured audiences worldwide, quickly becoming the most-watched unscripted TV show on the streaming platform that year and earning a spread in the 2026 Guinness World Records book.
“Season one was one of the coolest things we’ve ever done,” MrBeast said. “Seeing people all over the world get hyped about it was insane.
“We learned a ton from season one and couldn't wait to take it to the next level in a second season. It was a no-brainer.”
Moreover, the showrunners were determined to up-the-ante for their second season, which resulted in making everything bigger and better – including a gigantic new set called “Beast City”, as well as recruiting an interesting class of competitors.
Season two will revolve around a battle between “Smart vs Strong”, where 1,000 new participants known for their brains or brawn will compete for their chance at the $5 million (£3.75 million) prize.
“We never say no to a challenge,” said MrBeast. “Every time we finish something, the first thing we ask is, ‘how do we top this?’”
“That’s what keeps me excited, trying to one-up ourselves over and over again.”
And while touring us around the new set this year, it was apparent that the show had really levelled up.
Before season two officially debuted, Beast Games had already unveiled their record-breaking largest continuous video floor (LED), whose 5,183.6 ft² (481.67 m²) of colourful lighting dazzled us with its size and splendour.
They also revealed their state-of-the-art dorms for the contestants, as well as the new obstacle courses and giant spectacles they assembled to give audiences the best look at all the action.
And even though MrBeast wants to keep the exact details of the show tightly wrapped, he teased that the flooring wouldn’t be the last record broken on the set of season two.
With their new cohort of competitors, dozens of tricky games, and the massive scale of the Amazon Prime Video production, we don’t doubt that his plan was to keep pushing the limits of reality-TV greatness.
“Always,” he said. “I don’t want to spoil anything, but yeah, fans are going to freak out with what we do in season two.”
Where to watch
So for those who want to keep up-to-date with MrBeast’s record-breaking quest, we encourage you to check out season two of Beast Games as soon as it debuts.
The first three episodes of Beast Games season two premiere exclusively on Amazon Prime Video on 7 January, and the following episodes will drop weekly, leading up to an amazing season finale on 25 February.