Beast Games, a new Amazon Prime series by Jimmy 'MrBeast' Donaldson, has already received heavy backlash after release. Critics, such as IGN, panned the show, calling the challenges too simplistic and the editing too fast-paced.
But the viewers have been speaking as well, and the comments have been overwhelmingly negative, as many viewers have said it is underwhelming and poorly executed. MrBeast took to social media to defend the project, stating that criticism is unfair and based on personal bias against him.
Despite all these controversies, Donaldson still believes in the potential of the show as future episodes come to life. Let's delve into the premise of the series, the controversies surrounding it, and MrBeast's defense of the show.
What is Beast Games?
Beast Games is an ambitious competition series streaming on Amazon Prime. It features 1,000 contestants competing for a $5 million prize. The show has a format similar to MrBeast's popular YouTube videos. It features simple challenges and rapid editing designed to appeal to his massive online fanbase.
The series runs until February 2025 and has been positioned as a large-scale, high-stakes entertainment venture. However, the format and presentation have attracted a lot of criticism. Viewers and critics have labeled the challenges as "toddler-level" and the presentation as utterly chaotic.
Examples of such challenges include stacking blocks or throwing balls into cups-many of which people found less than thrilling for a production this large.
The backlash: Critic and viewer reactions
Critics such as IGN gave the series as low as 2/10, calling it unoriginal and poorly done. Audiences on sites like IMDb also criticized the series, though reviews were highly polarized, as a wave of both 10/10 and 1/10 scores may be indicative of review bombing.
Viewers criticized the show for its repetitive format, how it overuses quick cuts, and how they characterized the narration to be far too overwhelming. On Reddit, users criticized the editing as "annoying" and felt that the challenges were uninspired. A few pointed out how much drama was centered on contestants getting offered money to leave rather than compelling gameplay.
Matters were further complicated by legal issues surrounding the production. Five anonymous contestants had filed lawsuits earlier this year against MrBeast and Amazon, accusing the two of sexual harassment and hostile working conditions while filming. These controversies added fuel to the fire and marred the reputation of the show before it could firmly establish itself.
MrBeast's defense of Beast Games
Defending his work, MrBeast had much to say as criticism mounted. He called out an IGN reviewer in his response to the negative opinion on social media on December 21, 2024:
"Sad one person who doesn't like me can just label something a thousand people poured their lives into a 2/10 when it's clearly not.".
Donaldson also said that the subsequent episodes of Beast Games would be more closely associated with the contestants and, therefore, the series would be more interesting. He complained about early judgments by the viewers, saying viewers should wait for the show to progress before they could make judgments.
Despite this, his responses have done nothing to calm the negativity as people continue to post mixed reactions online.
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Beast Games has become a very polarizing addition to the Amazon Prime lineup. Although MrBeast had imagined the series as a ground-breaking expansion of his YouTube success, critics and viewers have brought to light critical flaws in the format and execution.
Legal controversies and bad reviews add to the complex trajectory that the show faces ahead. If Donaldson's confidence regarding future episodes would turn things around, it is only a matter of time, but it currently presents an extremely challenging outlook for the project.
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