YouTuber MrBeast (Jimmy Donaldson) and thriller writer James Patterson have released a co-written novel, The Most Dangerous Games, which has debuted at number three on The New York Times hardcover fiction bestseller list. The book marks Donaldson's entry into traditional publishing and pairs the world's most-subscribed creator with one of the world's bestselling authors, a collaboration likely to draw attention from both his online fanbase and conventional book buyers.

The novel, about a deadly global survival competition with a billion-dollar prize, has also topped Amazon's mystery, thriller and suspense new-release chart and reached number two in action and adventure and on Amazon's overall new-release list, while featuring on USA Today's top ten bestsellers. The project began when Patterson visited Donaldson's North Carolina base to develop the concept, after which Patterson wrote the story outline and mentored Donaldson weekly on narrative craft. Sources say film rights talks are already under way, and the pair have been promoting the book on social media, including offering readers a chance to win $1,000,000.