Beast City: Inside the Record-Breaking Shipping Container Set

When you think of reality TV sets, you might picture a glossy villa in Fiji or a soundstage in Los Angeles. But for the second season of Amazon Prime Video’s colossal hit Beast Games, creator Jimmy "MrBeast" Donaldson decided to go bigger, grittier, and decidedly more industrial. Filmed in his hometown of Greenville, North Carolina, the production didn't just build a set—they constructed a functional fortress dubbed "Beast City."

The scale of this project wasn't just impressive to the naked eye; it was officially historic. According to Guinness World Records, Beast Games Season 2 now holds the world record for the "most shipping containers used on a single set of a competitive reality TV show."

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Smashing Records by the Dozen

The magic number is 77. That is the confirmed count of shipping containers repurposed to bring the second iteration of Beast City to life. The record was officially verified in 2025 during the production of the show in Greenville.

For context, shipping containers have long been a staple of modern architecture and pop-up events, favored for their durability and modularity. However, using nearly 80 of them for a single television production is unprecedented. This wasn't about stacking a few boxes for a background aesthetic; the containers were integral to the infrastructure of the competition.

According to executives from Beast Games who spoke to Guinness World Records, the decision was practical as well as stylistic. "We repurposed 77 shipping containers not only as the perimeter of Beast City, but also as crew work spaces," the team revealed. This dual-purpose approach allowed the production to create a self-contained universe that kept contestants immersed while providing the massive crew with the on-site facilities needed to run the biggest reality show in history.

Bringing Beast City Home

One of the most compelling aspects of this record-breaking build is its location. Season 1 of Beast Games saw production spanning locations like Toronto and Las Vegas. While the first season featured its own version of a "city," reports surfaced that MrBeast regretted not building it in his own backyard.

For Season 2, he corrected that course. The change of location allowed for a more controlled environment—a literal walled city made of steel—where the chaos of the competition could unfold without outside interference.

The Industrial Aesthetic and Functionality

Why shipping containers? Beyond the record-breaking headline, the choice of material speaks to the brand's identity. The Beast Games aesthetic is often characterized by high stakes and raw intensity. The corrugated steel of shipping containers provides an instant, imposing visual language that screams "industrial playground."

For the contestants, these 77 containers formed the physical boundaries of their world. They served as the perimeter wall, effectively locking the players inside the game. This created a "pressure cooker" environment essential for the psychological aspect of the competition.

For the production team, the containers offered a modular solution to a logistical challenge. Housing a production crew for a show of this magnitude requires offices, equipment storage, and technical hubs. Instead of building temporary wooden structures or renting trailers, stacking shipping containers allowed the team to build vertically and efficiently, creating a "city" for the crew just as much as for the cast.

A Legacy of Scale

The construction of Beast City in Greenville is more than just a feat of engineering; it’s a testament to the exploding scale of the creator economy. What started as YouTube videos filmed in a backyard has evolved into a production capability that rivals major Hollywood studios.

To put the 77-container record in perspective, consider that most reality shows rely on existing locations or traditional soundstages. Beast Games essentially manufactured a custom architectural compound. The sheer weight and volume of steel involved required heavy machinery, precise engineering, and a level of planning reserved for large-scale construction projects.

The Greenville Impact

For Greenville, North Carolina, the production brought significant economic activity to the area, using local vendors and labor to transport, stack, and modify the dozens of 40-foot containers.

During the summer of 2025, the set became a focal point for Beast Philanthropy as well. A VIP experience offered donors a chance to tour the Season 2 set, giving a select few a glimpse inside the walls of the container city before it hit screens on Prime Video.

Raising the Bar for Season 3?

The 77 containers of Beast City have set a new benchmark for production design in the unscripted genre. If history is any indication, the next build will be even bigger. 

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