The world is still the real Earth—the same countries, cities, oceans, and people. But after years of political instability and unrest, a new international authority has divided the population under its control into 12 brackets. The brackets change every year so people can’t switch jobs etc.
Then it announces something nobody expected:
The Death Games.
This is the first year they have ever been held.
Each of the 12 brackets must be randomly enrolled into two individuals, making 24 competitors in total.
The selections are public and mandatory.
Nobody knows exactly what to expect because there are no previous Games to study. There are no former victors giving advice, no established strategies, and no generations that grew up knowing the Games existed.
Parents are terrified.
Young people don't know whether being selected means certain death.
Some believe the authorities won't actually go through with it.
Others begin preparing immediately.
The first Games take place on a large island in the Pacific Ocean, south of California.