Beast Games was inspired by the viral Netflix show Squid Game and by MrBeast's own viral video '$456,000 Squid Game in Real Life!'

On March 18, 2024, Jimmy Donaldson (MrBeast) announced a $100 million deal with Amazon MGM Studios to produce the series, with the show's budget reportedly exceeding $100 million.

The first filming round took place July 18–22, 2024, inside Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas with 2,000 contestants, making it the largest cast ever assembled for a reality show.

The 'Beast City' portion of the competition was filmed with the remaining 1,000 contestants at Downsview Park Studios in Toronto in August 2024, while the 'Beast Island' segment was shot on the uninhabited La Vivienda Island in Panama's Pearl Islands.

Season 2 features a crossover with CBS's Survivor, filmed prior to Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans, with Survivor host Jeff Probst appearing as a co-host and Donaldson appearing in an episode of Survivor 50 as a Celebrity Fan introducing a twist.

Filming broke 44 Guinness World Records, including the largest physical cash prize on a set ($5,000,000), the most prize money turned down on a competitive reality show ($1,000,000), and the most money won in a single episode of a competitive reality TV show ($2,020,000).

A class action lawsuit was filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on September 16, 2024, after contestants alleged they were denied food, water, medication, and beds, and reported injuries, mistreatment, sexual harassment, and unpaid overtime during production.

According to a December 2024 Rolling Stone report, part of a tower exterior fell on a crew member on September 9, 2024, and the Ontario Ministry of Labour opened an investigation into a separate on-set industrial incident on September 11, 2024, issuing 'requirements' to production companies Blink 49 Studios and Manhattan Beach Studios.

Despite being poorly received by critics, season 1 became Prime Video's most-watched unscripted series ever and its second-largest series debut of 2024 behind Fallout, drawing 50 million viewers over 25 days, with half the audience coming from outside the United States.