Jimmy Donaldson, better known as MrBeast, is officially entering the literary world. The YouTube creator has partnered with prolific thriller author James Patterson to pen a new book, The Most Dangerous Games, which is set to hit shelves on September 1, 2026.
Published by HarperCollins, the novel is being framed by the publisher as “the book event of the year.” The story revolves around a dystopian social construct—not unlike the real-world spectacle of Donaldson’s own Beast Games—where 100 players compete in a brutal, high-stakes tournament. The objective is to save humanity while vying for a one-billion-dollar prize, with survival serving as the only true rule.
A Collaboration of Storytelling Instincts
For Donaldson, the project is an attempt to bridge the gap between his massive online following and a younger generation that he feels has been alienated by traditional literature. “Growing up, I thought books were boring,” Donaldson said in the announcement. “As I got into my 20s I realized I was just reading the wrong books and they can be exciting if it’s the right match.”
Donaldson noted that he wanted to craft a narrative that he would have been personally obsessed with as a child. He credited Patterson, known for his ability to produce 10 to 20 books a year through a collaborative network of co-authors and detailed outlining, as the ideal partner for the mission.
Patterson, who typically works by drafting 50- to 70-page outlines before handing them off to collaborators, praised Donaldson’s creative input. “Jimmy has the best storytelling instincts of anyone I’ve worked with,” Patterson stated. “We had a great time working in collaboration, going back and forth with ideas, making the novel better and better every step of the way.”
Mirroring Reality
The premise of the book—a high-stakes, dangerous competition featuring brutal environments—invites immediate comparisons to real-world events. Following a string of lawsuits filed against Donaldson over the past three years, the fictional concept of The Most Dangerous Games echoes the intense atmosphere often found in his video productions.
Whether this collaboration manages to get a new generation “psyched about reading again,” as Donaldson hopes, remains to be seen when the book arrives this September.