Beast Games Episode 5 recap: Contestants compete to own Beast Island while Lil Yachty makes an appearance

With Beast Games, MrBeast AKA Jimmy Donaldson has turned giving away money into a full-fledged entertainment empire. His latest venture, Beast Games on Prime Video, takes his signature high-stakes challenges to new heights with contestants competing for a jaw-dropping $5 million grand prize.

In Episode 5, which dropped on January 9, 2025, the stakes got even higher as contestants battled it out for a chance to own MrBeast's private island, worth $1.8 million. The episode featured everything from Navy SEAL-led hide-and-seek to coconut-tossing challenges, culminating in a dramatic briefcase showdown with rapper Lil Yachty making a special appearance.

MrBeast announced on X:

"Episode 5 of Beast Games (featuring Lil Yachty) just dropped and contestants so far have won over $6,400,000! Go watch :D"

As viewers tuned in to catch the new episode, they were left on the edge of their seats as two finalists, Mia (#952) and Brennan (#711), faced off in a winner-takes-all battle for island ownership.

What happened in Beast Games Episode 5?

The episode kicked off with 60 contestants, but only nine dared to compete for MrBeast's island. These brave souls found themselves playing an intense game of hide-and-seek with Navy SEALs as the seekers.

While most contestants, including Jeremy (#991) and Karim (#406), opted to watch from the safety of a resort-style island, the nine competitors discovered that childhood games hit differently when professional military personnel are on your tail.

The survivors of hide-and-seek faced a deceptively simple coconut-tossing challenge, where precision meant everything. The game quickly separated the coconut-tossing pros from the beach-bound eliminated, leading to a voting round where returning contestants use their power to shape the game's results.

The episode had a fun little celebrity moment when Lil Yachty stepped in to determine one contestant's fate. After Harrison (#441) orchestrated a box-selection challenge with four safe options and one elimination, Lil Yachty pulled the lever that sealed Misha's (#413) fate, adding another twist to an already tense moment.

Contestants make a difficult decision at the end of the episode

In true MrBeast fashion, the remaining contestants faced a tempting choice aboard a pirate ship: take $450,000 in gold immediately or continue competing for the $1.8 million island. Esteban (#457) chose the guaranteed payday, declaring, "This is life-changing money," despite Brennan's attempt to influence his decision with a coin-flip suggestion.

The episode concluded with Mia (#952) and Brennan (#711) preparing for a high-stakes briefcase shuffle, where one would walk away with a private island while the other left empty-handed. The cliffhanger ending left viewers eagerly awaiting next week's resolution.

Since its December 19, 2024 premiere on Prime Video, Beast Games has been shattering records and expectations. MrBeast's strategic decision to make the first episode copyright-free enabled widespread social media promotion through reactions and commentary. The show has already set several Guinness World Records, particularly for its unprecedented prize money distribution.

The series' financial impact has been staggering, with contestants collectively winning over $6.4 million by Episode 5 – already exceeding the advertised $5 million grand prize. This includes creative giveaways like the $1 million distributed in the first episode, where 52 contestants chose to take $20,000 each and exit before the games began.

With a tropical island and a Lamborghini still up for grabs, Beast Games is on track to surpass $10 million in total prizes, setting a new standard for reality competition shows.

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Episode 6 of Beast Games is set to premiere on Prime Video on January 16, 2025.