Overview - The Challenge

Overview

Each Challenge pits numerous cast members from past seasons of reality shows against each other, dividing them into two separate teams according to different criteria, such as gender, which show they first appeared on, whether or not they're veterans or rookies on the show, etc. The two teams compete in numerous missions in order to win prizes and advance in the overall game.

Seasons

• Name: Specials

  Episode: 17

  Date first aired: 2014-12-30

• Name: All Stars

  Episode: 5

  Road Rules: All Stars is the first season of the MTV reality game show, The Challenge. Unlike later seasons the show followed alumni of The Real World as they went on a typical Road Rules-type adventure around the United States in a non-competitive format. It is the only season without the term Challenge in its title. The season premiered on June 1st, 1998.

  Date first aired: 1998-04-20

• Name: Real World vs. Road Rules

  Episode: 6

  Real World/Road Rules Challenge is the 2nd season of the MTV reality game show, The Challenge. The season is directly subsequent to Road Rules: All Stars. The season marked the first time in which "Real World/Road Rules Challenge" would be used as the show's main title. In addition, it's one of two seasons absent of a subtitle, a trend that wouldn't truly emerge until the show's 4th season. It is the first six-on-six Challenge in the series. The teams traveled via tour bus and RV starting in San Francisco, ending in Universal City, California, competing in different individual challenges. The winning team had the right to travel in a tour bus, while the losing team had to travel in an RV. Each time a team won an individual challenge, they won the right to spend time in a "money machine". The "money machine", set up outside Universal Studios Hollywood in Universal City, California was a huge wind chamber that contained up to $150,000. Whatever the casts could keep on them, they were guaranteed to keep. This season also featured an additional challenge where the two teams competed over possession of a teddy bear. Whichever team had the teddy bear in their possession at an unknown, predetermined point in the challenge, would win the additional challenge.

  Date first aired: 1998-11-09

• Name: Challenge 2000

  Episode: 11

  Real World/Road Rules Challenge 2000 is the 3rd season of the MTV reality game show, The Challenge. The season is directly subsequent to Real World/Road Rules Challenge the season. Real World/Road Rules Challenge 2000 is the second six-on-six The Challenge in the series. The teams traveled via tour bus starting in Las Vegas, Nevada then moving to the eastern U.S., ending in Miami, Florida after competing in different individual challenges. Each time a team won an individual challenge, they won $10,000. After each mission won, the winning team would invest those 10K in the product of their choice through E-Trade. At the end, the winning team also won any money won in the stock market. The last mission would be for the right to keep the money collected in the pot, an additional cash prize and a car. This season also featured an additional challenge where the two teams had to give up smoking for the duration of filming. If any cast member on either team were caught smoking, their cast would lose the additional challenge.

  Date first aired: 2000-01-17

• Name: Extreme Challenge

  Episode: 19

  Extreme Challenge is the 4th season of the MTV reality game show, The Challenge. The season is directly subsequent to Real World/Road Rules Challenge 2000. Extreme Challenge is the first season that adorned the show with a subtitle, the series having begun a new trend of titling each season based off its format and theme. To date, it's also the only season in which the season title alters the show title, through the insertion of "Extreme" between "Real World/Road Rules" and "Challenge." Extreme Challenge consisted of the third and final six-on-six Challenge. The casts were split up into two different six-person teams, one representing The Real World and the other representing Road Rules. The teams traveled via tour bus in the eastern U.S. and Europe competing in different individual challenges. Each time a team won an individual challenge, money would be added to an E-Trade account. Each time they won a challenge, they had the chance to invest those winnings in the stock market for the duration of the challenge. The last mission would be for the right to keep the money collected in the pot, an additional cash prize, and a car.

  Date first aired: 2001-01-09

• Name: Battle of the Seasons

  Episode: 17

  Real World/Road Rules Challenge: Battle of the Seasons is the fifth season of the MTV reality game show, The Challenge (at the time known as Real World/Road Rules Challenge). The season is directly subsequent to Extreme Challenge. Battle of the Seasons premiered in early 2002 and took place in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. In each episode, the cast competed in a challenge, and the top three Real World and top three Road Rules teams would become the "Inner Circle" and have the power to vote off teams. The "Inner Circle" was determined by a cumulative score that would be tallied on a leader board. The final six teams would compete for a final prize worth $300,000.

  Date first aired: 2002-02-04

• Name: Battle of the Sexes

  Episode: 21

  Battle of the Sexes is the 6th season of the MTV reality game show, The Challenge. The season is directly subsequent to the first Battle of the Seasons. Battle of the Sexes featured cast members from The Real World and Road Rules. The cast stayed in the Round Hill Hotel and Villa Resort near Montego Bay, Jamaica. The show premiered on December 30, 2002 and concluded on May 12, 2003. This is the first edition of the Battle of the Sexes series, with Battle of the Sexes 2 following in 2004–2005.

  Date first aired: 2003-01-06

• Name: The Gauntlet

  Episode: 18

  The Gauntlet is the 7th season of the MTV reality game show, The Challenge. The season is directly subsequent to Battle of the Sexes. The Gauntlet featured 28 castmates competing in missions with an immunity life-saver awarded to the best individual performer. Each team would then select a player from their team to go into the Gauntlet elimination challenge. This challenge was held in Telluride, Colorado. It was hosted by Jonny Moseley. This is the first edition of the Gauntlet series, with The Gauntlet 2 following in 2005–2006 and The Gauntlet III following in 2008.

  Date first aired: 2003-09-29

• Name: The Inferno

  Episode: 20

  The Inferno is the 8th season of the MTV reality game show, The Challenge. The season is directly subsequent to The Gauntlet. The Inferno aired in 2004. The season was composed of twenty cast members, and took place in Acapulco, Mexico. In this challenge, the winning teams would receive a prize at the end of each mission. They would then nominate two players from their team to the Inferno elimination challenge. Unlike The Gauntlet, there would be another challenge with an immunity life-saver up for grabs before the Inferno. Each team then selected one of the two nominees from the opposing team to go into the Inferno. This is the first edition of The Inferno series, with The Inferno II following in 2005 and The Inferno 3 following in 2007.

  Date first aired: 2004-02-02