The Challenge: Battle for a New Champion is the thirty-ninth season of the MTV reality competition series The Challenge, featuring alumni from The Challenge, Are You the One? (U S.), Big Brother (UK and U.S.), Ex on the Beach (UK and U.S.), Survivor (Romania, Turkey and U.S.), Love Island (U.S.), So You Think You Can Dance, The Mole Germany, Exatlon (U.S.), Ibiza Weekender, The Bachelor & The Bachelorette (Australia), 12 Dates of Christmas, The Circle (U.S.), The Only Way Is Essex, Shipwrecked, and The Royal World competing for a share at up to a $500,000 prize. It is the first season without a full-time contestant from The Real World and the first season without a first-time contestant; the season also features no prior winners.
The season premiered on October 25, 2023 with a simulcast on MTV2, preceded by a launch special titled "Countdown Begins" which aired on October 18, 2023.
Format
Battle for a New Champion features 24 contestants who have previously competed on The Challenge but have not won a season. The season's prize pot starts at $300,000, however, money can be earned or lost based on the outcomes of certain challenges and eliminations throughout the season.
The season will have three formats called Control, Chaos, and Conquest. Control (Episode 1 - present): Players all compete together as one group to complete a challenge; if they are successful, money is added to the prize pot. Afterwards, the contestants must vote for one player, of either gender, to compete in the elimination round in the Arena. The player who receives the most votes must then call out any player of the same gender as their opponent for the elimination round. The winner remains in the game while the loser is eliminated. Chaos: Players compete in challenges in pairs or teams. During elimination rounds, former champions appear to compete against players; the champions steal money from the prize pot for themselves if they win their elimination round. Conquest: Players compete as individuals for the final portion of the season. Throughout this portion, they can also earn more money for the prize pot.
Twists
Champions: During the "Chaos" portion of the season, ten former champions of The Challenge appear to compete against contestants in a one-off elimination round. If the champions win their elimination, they are awarded money from the season's prize pot.
Contestants
Champions
Although not in contention to win the season, ten former champions of The Challenge will appear in the season to compete in elimination rounds against contestants. If the champions win their elimination, they steal money from the season's prize pool for themselves.
Champion of
Gameplay
Challenge games
Hole Control: The group must enter a deep mud pit, scale a wall to get out with 24 large poles and arrange them to depict a Challenge logo within 10 minutes. If they are successful, $50,000 is added to the prize pot. Result: Failed
Arena games
Fall Out: Players begin in suspended in a glass-bottom cube. They must remove tiles from the cube before pulling a rope to retrieve a hammer and using it to smash through the glass floor. The first player to finish wins. Played by: Big T vs. Jessica
Game summary
Episode progress
Color key: