MrBeast's Minecraft Boys vs Girls Challenge Sparks Allegations of Cheating, Sabotage, and Mistreatment of Transgender Women

YouTuber MrBeast, known as Jimmy Donaldson, released a video titled "1000 Players Simulate Civilization: Boys vs Girls" on his MrBeast Gaming channel, pitting 500 boys against 500 girls in a week-long Minecraft server event where teams built civilizations before a final battle. The boys' team ultimately won the $50,000 prize after breaching the girls' defenses.

The video quickly amassed millions of views, but shortly after its release on December 29, 2025, participants from the girls' team began posting detailed threads on X accusing the production of omitting critical behind-the-scenes issues. Streamer and VTuber ZavvyGamer initiated the discussion with a lengthy post outlining moderation failures, including men allegedly using AI-generated images and deepfakes to pose as women and infiltrate the girls' server. ZavvyGamer stated that these infiltrators attacked players, placed signs with swastikas and sexist messages in Russian on the girls' map, and disrupted building efforts for days.

Participants reported that the Discord server initially lacked proper reporting tools, requiring players to mass-ping moderators to address violations. One player, Makio, took it upon herself to track fake accounts, but delays in responses allowed damage to persist. The event was marketed as a civilization-building simulation rather than pure player-versus-player combat, yet many on the girls' team had limited Minecraft experience compared to skilled players on the boys' side.

Over-enrollment exacerbated issues, with more than 500 players approved for the girls' team on a first-come, first-served basis, leading to chaos and abandoned plans. Nonbinary players were assigned to the girls' team due to low numbers, adding to team dynamics confusion. Rumors of women selling accounts to men fueled paranoia, resulting in transgender women being wrongly suspected as infiltrators based on voice or verification issues, despite some being experienced players.

Multiple contestants corroborated ZavvyGamer's account. @UtibaCore confirmed the claims, stating, "as a contestant of the event on the girls’ side, I can confirm all claims are true." @ItsToxumi highlighted unshown moments where girls excelled in battles until flanked. @MystHeartz noted nonbinary placements and trans women verification failures. @LuztsofLuv expressed disappointment over the overcrowded server.

From an LGBTQ+ perspective, the mistreatment of transgender women underscores broader challenges in online gaming spaces, where verification processes can inadvertently exclude or harass transgender people based on assumptions about gender presentation. Participants emphasized that fear of infiltrators led to internal conflicts harming genuine transgender team members, highlighting the need for inclusive moderation that respects transgender identities without invasive scrutiny. ZavvyGamer shared screenshots of hateful signs to illustrate the environment without amplifying perpetrators.

MrBeast's team has not publicly responded to these specific allegations as of December 29, 2025, though the video description includes a brief note on issues. ZavvyGamer told the Daily Dot she spoke out to counter online hate directed at the girls' team. This controversy adds to ongoing scrutiny of large-scale gaming events, stressing the importance of robust anti-cheat measures, clear rules, and protections for marginalized groups like transgender people in virtual competitions.