Top image: Image: Facebook / Game2: Winter 

Rape and murder are among some of the crimes that are “allowed” in the newly announced Russian reality TV show, Game2: Winter.  The nine-month survival test will take place in Siberian wilderness and will see 30 male and female contestants compete for a $1.6 million prize.

This online series will begin on 1st July 2017 and conclude on 1st April 2018 and the global viewers will be treated (or not) to 24/7 coverage. The angles will be covered with 2,000 cameras and each contestant will also have their own personal recording device.

The official ad for the show says: “Each contestant gives consent that they could be maimed, even killed. 2000 cameras, 900 hectares and 30 lives.” This hasn’t deterred contestants as over 60 people have applied already.

If you thought Big Brother was a TV low point, try this for size. The Hunger Games-esque rules say: “Everything is allowed. Fighting, alcohol, murder, rape, smoking, anything.” Importantly, the rules also state: “You must understand that the police will come and take you away, we are on the territory of Russia, and obey the laws of the Russian Federation.”

The series was created by entrepreneur Yevgeny Pyatkovsk, who said, “We will refuse any claim of participants even if they were to be killed or raped. We will have nothing to do with this. This will be spelt out in a document to be signed by the participant before the start of the show.”

According to The Siberian Times, contestants will be given survival training from Russia’s elite former GRU Spetznaz operatives. It also reported that contestants will be permitted knives, but strictly no guns. After the training they will be left alone to fend for themselves in the Serbian Landscape which can reach highs of 35C and terrifying lows of -40C. Contestants won’t be entirely on their own as they will be sharing the experience with wild bears, snakes and wolves. Is this just over exaggerated PR, or is this really how low humanity has sank?