YouTube creator MrBeast has taken his latest challenge to a new scale, putting himself and four friends against 100 Indiana State Police troopers in a 12-hour escape challenge with $500,000 at stake. The video, titled “Escape 100 Cops, Win $500,000,” was released on August 22, 2026. It follows MrBeast, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson, and four other contestants as they attempt to avoid being captured by the participating troopers.
The challenge was filmed at the Muscatatuck Urban Training Center near Butlerville, Indiana. The facility is a military training site with an urban-style environment that provided the setting for the search. According to local reports, filming took place in July before the video was released.
Under the rules of the challenge, the five contestants had to remain uncaptured for the full 12 hours. Each contestant was associated with $100,000, bringing the total prize to $500,000. If the troopers successfully captured all five before the time expired, they would receive the prize.
The video shows the contestants using different strategies to avoid detection. These included camouflage, concealed hiding places and other improvised methods. Reports also said the production featured hidden tunnels and specially constructed hiding areas. The troopers searched across the training center using police vehicles and specialized equipment.
The production also incorporated law-enforcement technology and personnel, including Indiana State Police cruisers, SWAT vehicles, K-9 teams and other equipment. Footage from the challenge included body cameras, drones, hidden cameras and camera crews documenting the search.
Despite the contestants’ efforts, the Indiana State Police ultimately won the challenge. Troopers located and captured all five participants with approximately 90 minutes remaining on the 12-hour clock. As a result, the $500,000 prize went to the police side of the challenge.
Indiana State Police later clarified that the participating troopers were off duty during the production. The agency also said it was compensated for the use of its vehicles and equipment. The clarification came after the production raised questions about the use of police resources in a commercial YouTube production. The police agency described the project as an opportunity to show viewers different aspects of its work. Indiana State Police specifically highlighted its K-9 and emergency-response capabilities as well as the broader duties performed by its troopers.
The roughly 20-minute video quickly attracted a large audience. It had accumulated more than 42 million views by August 24, just two days after its release, according to reports.
The challenge is another example of MrBeast’s use of large-scale competitions and substantial cash prizes as the central concept of his YouTube videos. In this case, the combination of a large number of police participants, a controlled training environment and a $500,000 prize turned a traditional chase-and-hide concept into a major production.
Rather than ending with MrBeast securing another cash prize, however, the latest challenge concluded with all five contestants being captured and the Indiana State Police taking the $500,000 prize.
