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The Challenge

Not announced Paramount+

No new season has been announced.

Pick three challengers before the premiere and ride every daily, every elimination and the Final.

Veterans and newcomers from across reality TV compete in teams or pairs in daily challenges, and those who are nominated face off in head-to-head eliminations until a few reach a multi-stage Final. The format changes every season. Since Season 42 (Cutthroat, 2026) it has streamed weekly as a Paramount+ original after 41 seasons on MTV.

The Challenge Paramount+ Not announced
Each player picks
three challengers
Format
Locked picks
Picks lock
Picks lock before the premiere is released on Paramount+ (11:59 PM Eastern the night before). Every episode counts.
Party size
6-14 players works best

Next season not confirmed yet. Season 42 (Cutthroat) has been streaming weekly on Paramount+ since Aug 5, 2026, with Episode 14 listed for Oct 28. No Season 43 announcement found as of Oct 26, 2026. Source

How it will work

The proposed format for when The Challenge opens. Details can change before launch.

  1. Pick three challengers

    Once the cast is revealed, choose any three challengers, vets or rookies. Picks are hidden from your party until they lock.

  2. Lock before the premiere

    Picks lock the night before the first episode is released. After that, no swaps or trades.

  3. Score every elimination

    Your challengers earn points for surviving each round, winning dailies and winning eliminations, and lose points when they're eliminated or quit.

  4. Win the Final

    Making the Final, finishing it and placing are worth the most. The highest total in your party wins.

The Challenge 42 cast

The Challenge 42 is airing now on Paramount+. Pick the Cast parties for The Challenge open in a future season.

Brad FiorenzaThe Real World: San Diego
Cedric HodgesBig Brother
CTThe Real World: Paris
Chris UnderwoodSurvivor
Cory WhartonReal World: Ex-Plosion
Johnny BananasThe Real World: Key West
Josh GoldsteinLove Island
Justin HinsleyCheer
Keanu SotoBig Brother
LeoLove Island
Nelson ThomasAre You the One? 3
Will GagnonAre You the One? 9
Adrienne NaylorMarried at First Sight UK 8
LeteDeal or No Deal Island
Anna Leigh WilsonThe Amazing Race
Cara Maria SorbelloThe Challenge: Fresh Meat II
Cassidy ClarkSurvivor
Deb ChubbLove Island USA
IzzyToo Hot to Handle
Michele FitzgeraldSurvivor
Nurys MateoAre You the One? 6
Reilly SmedleyBig Brother
Sydney SegalSurvivor
ToriAre You the One? 4

Meet the cast

Your challengers, your party.

Pick three challengers, then follow them all season. Every result moves the standings in your private party.

Your picks Demo
  • Challenger A
  • Challenger B picked
  • Challenger C
  • Challenger D
  • Challenger E picked
  • Challenger F
  • Challenger G picked
  • Challenger H
3 of 3 picked
Standings Sample party
  1. 1 Maya Challenger AChallenger DChallenger G 64 +9 this week
  2. 2 Jordan Challenger BChallenger EChallenger H 58 +4 this week
  3. 3 You Challenger CChallenger DChallenger I 51 +7 this week
  4. 4 Priya Challenger AChallenger FChallenger G 37 −6 this week
  5. 5 Sam Challenger BChallenger FChallenger J 30 +2 this week
Illustration with made-up players and demo challengers, not real results.

Scoring

Proposed point values. They may change before the show opens.

Competition

  • Won a daily (solo or pair) (per challenge)+4
  • On a winning daily team (per challenge)+2
  • Won an elimination (per elimination)+6

Strategy

  • Named captain (per stint)+3

Survival

  • Survived an elimination round (per round)+2
  • Eliminated−8
  • Medical or emergency exit0

All 15 scoring events

Rules

The proposed rulebook for when The Challenge opens.

Your picks

Pick exactly three challengers from the announced cast. Picks aren't exclusive, so friends can pick the same people. Once confirmed, your picks can't be changed.

Pick deadline

Picks lock the night before the premiere is released (11:59 PM Eastern). Every episode counts, starting with the premiere. Picks are revealed to your party at the lock.

Eliminations

Winning an elimination is +6 and losing one is -8. Every challenger still in the game after an elimination round gets +2. Being sent into elimination is worth nothing by itself.

Teams and pairs

You always pick individuals. Team daily wins give each member +2, pair or solo daily wins +4. If a team or pair wins the Final, every member is a winner.

The Final

Making the Final is +8 and finishing it +4. Placing adds +5 for 3rd, +10 for 2nd and +20 for the win. Anyone cut during the Final keeps the +8, with no elimination penalty. Prize-money splits are never scored.

Voluntary exits

Quitting by choice is -10. If the show gives a medical reason or a family or personal emergency, the exit is 0 and the challenger is simply out.

Disqualifications

Being removed for conduct or rule-breaking is -12. Being cut for falling behind in the Final is not a disqualification.

Returning challengers

If an eliminated challenger wins their way back into the game, they get +5 and score normally again. Their earlier -8 stays. Replacement challengers added mid-season can't be picked.

Ties

Tied players are ordered by most picks who made the Final, then by highest single-challenger total. If they're still tied, they share the rank.

Late joiners

A party started after the premiere sets its own deadline. Members pick from the challengers still in, and only episodes released after that deadline count.

Corrections

Results come from what the episode shows on Paramount+. Pick the Cast publishes them after each episode, and corrections are logged with a reason and recalculate every party. Results are final 7 days after publishing unless the show itself changes a result.

Host powers

Hosts can fix a member's picks with a logged reason (for example, a picked challenger pulled from the cast before the premiere) and edit point values until the party starts. Nobody can change scoring after that.

Predictions and polls

In development. Questions like these will open week by week, scored for fun, never for money.

  • Coming later

    Which team or pair wins this week's daily challenge?

  • Coming later

    Who gets sent into this week's elimination?

  • Coming later

    Who wins this week's elimination?

  • Coming later

    Will anyone quit or be removed this week?

Questions about The Challenge on Pick the Cast

Can I play The Challenge fantasy on Pick the Cast yet?

Not yet. The Challenge is coming soon, and the rules and scoring on this page are the proposal. Join the waitlist and we’ll email you once, when The Challenge parties open.

How many challengers do you pick?

Three. Everyone in the party picks before the deadline, and picks are locked for the season, so friends can back the same challenger.

When are picks due?

Picks lock before the premiere is released on Paramount+ (11:59 PM Eastern the night before). Every episode counts.

How does The Challenge fantasy scoring work?

Points come from what happens on the show. The biggest: won the season (+20), runner-up (+10) and made the Final (+8). The steepest loss: disqualified or removed (−12). Every event and its points are on the scoring page. These values are proposed and can change before the show opens.

How many people should be in a party?

6-14 players works best, up to 20. Parties can be private (invite link or code) or public.

Is Pick the Cast affiliated with Paramount+ or The Challenge?

No. Pick the Cast is an independent fan game. It isn’t affiliated with, sponsored by or endorsed by any network, streaming service, studio or show.

Every The Challenge scoring event · General questions