he Challenge (originally known as Road Rules: All Stars, followed by Real World/Road Rules Challenge and occasionally known as The Real World/Road Rules Challenge during this time), is a reality game show on MTV that is spun off from two of the network's reality shows, The Real World and Road Rules. Originally featuring alumni from these two shows, casting for The Challenge has slowly expanded to include contestants who debuted on The Challenge itself, alumni from other MTV franchises including Are You the One?, Ex on the Beach (Brazil, UK and US), Geordie Shore and from other non-MTV shows. The contestants compete against one another in various extreme challenges to avoid elimination. The winners of the final challenge win the competition and share a large cash prize.[1][2] The Challenge is currently hosted by T. J. Lavin.
The series premiered on June 1, 1998. The show was originally titled Road Rules: All Stars (in which notable Real World alumni participated in a Road Rules style road-trip). It was renamed Real World/Road Rules Challenge for the 2nd season, then later abridged to simply The Challenge by the show's 19th season.
Since the fourth season, each season has supplied the show with a unique subtitle, such as Rivals. Each season consists of a format and theme whereby the subtitle is derived. The show's current season, Double Agents, premiered on December 9, 2020.[3]
