MrBeast’s team blames ‘Beast Games’ filming issues on weather and CrowdStrike incident, says it wants to “learn from this experience”

MrBeast‘s team has addressed allegations that the production of Beast Games has been dangerous and disorganized, with contestants being given limited access to food, water, medical supplies, sanitary products, clean underwear, and sleep.

In a statement to The New York Times, MrBeast’s spokesperson said filming, which began July 18, was “was unfortunately complicated by the CrowdStrike incident [on July 19], extreme weather and other unexpected logistical and communications issues.” They added that the production has “taken steps to ensure that we learn from this experience.”

They didn’t explain how the CrowdStrike incident–which crashed systems around the world and impacted things like airlines, banks, and hospitals–specifically affected production.

The Times spoke to over a dozen of the 2,000 competitors who gathered in Las Vegas to film the qualifying round of Beast Games, which Amazon bought for $100 million in March. It corroborated allegations that were first brought to light by Rosanna Pansino, who spoke to over 200 people involved in the production.

Multiple contestants told both Pansino and the Times that they were fed little during meals (one meal was “a tiny portion of cold oatmeal, one hard-boiled egg and a few pieces of raw vegetables,” per the Times), and that staffers passed out Feastables bars and filmed competitors’ reactions to eating them.

Upon checking in for the competition, contestants had to hand over things like medications and underwear to the staff, the Times reports. Staff was then supposed to distribute these items throughout the shoot, but contestants alleged deliveries were delayed by hours or days. Contestants also struggled to sleep, since much of the shoot was done at night, and no dark, quiet place was provided for rest during the day.

The Times

reports contestants felt staff was “overwhelmed,” and possibly unequipped to handle caring for such a large group of people. Contestants described incidents where staffers laughed at menstruating contestants being denied underwear and pads, and where a contestant who needed to eat with her prescribed medication was told by staff that no, she actually didn’t need food. After pleading repeatedly, she was given half a banana, she told the Times.

The Times reviewed Beast Games‘ contract for contestants, which (as is standard in reality TV production) warned that participating could cause “death, illness, or serious bodily injury, including, but not limited to exhaustion, dehydration, overexertion, burns, and heat stroke.”

It says there were several hospitalizations during filming, and that some contestants left the arena on stretchers. Others passed out and vomited.

“We signed up for the show, but we didn’t sign up for not being fed or watered or treated like human beings,” one contestant said.

These allegations are similar to issues that plagued the production of Netflix‘s Squid Game: The Challenge, a reality series based on Hwang Dong-hyuk‘s hit dystopian drama. One of the 456 contestants described filming conditions as “absolutely inhumane and had nothing to do with the game.” In December 2023, just a couple weeks after news emerged that competitors were seeking a lawsuit against Netflix, it renewed the series for a second season.

A thousand contestants made it through the qualifying round of Beast Games filming and are due to film the second round in Canada this month. It appears production will be moving forward, as MrBeast’s spokesperson told the Times, “We are grateful that virtually all of those invited to Toronto for our next production have enthusiastically accepted our invitation.”