After a brief hiatus, fans of The Challenge will get another spin-off to occupy their attention during the late part of summer.
On Tuesday, The Challenge: USA 2 cast and trailer officially arrived, previewing some of what viewers can expect when the spin-off hits TV.
The show debuted last year and featured CBS reality TV stars from Big Brother, Amazing Race, Love Island, and Survivor.
USA 2 will feature more of the same, sans Love Islanders, as the show has since moved from CBS to NBC’s Peacock streaming service.
Despite some moments of excitement, the first season of The Challenge: USA was panned by some critics because it didn’t quite compare to MTV’s competition show in terms of intensity or entertainment.
However, Challenge fans have reason to get excited for the second installment of the spin-off, as it will feature MTV Legends, including Johnny Bananas, Wes Bergmann, Cory Wharton, and Jonna Mannion.
The Challenge: USA Season 2 trailer arrives online
“People are coming for blood, and it’s gonna get ugly,” Cory is heard saying as the first official trailer for The Challenge: USA 2 opens.
Soon after, a familiar character appears, as seven-time Challenge champion Bananas is about to pop a bottle with castmates to offer a toast before the games begin.
“The rookies have no idea what’s in store for them,” two-time All Stars winner Jonna says.
Some of those rookies are shown in the trailer, although Desi Williams and Tiffany Mitchell are returning USA cast members from CBS’ first spin-off season. Desi, whom Monsters and Critics interviewed last year, called this her “redemption season” in the trailer.
“I am The Challenger that keeps everyone up at night,” Bananas boldly suggests in another voiceover.
In addition to quick shots of some of the cast members, footage in the trailer also includes glimpses of upcoming daily challenges, eliminations, and potential drama that lies ahead in USA 2.
According to host TJ Lavin in the trailer, “America’s best will be pushed to their breaking point” as they pursue the $500,000 prize money.
Here’s the entire cast for The Challenge: USA 2 spin-off
There will be rookies and vets in The Challenge: USA 2 cast. The vets are the six MTV Legends advertised for the cast.
In addition to Bananas, Jonna, Cory, and Wes, viewers will see Ride or Dies winner Tori Deal. There’s also the return of Amanda Garcia, who last appeared in MTV’s Spies, Lies & Allies season.
Check out their official USA 2 cast photos and a group picture of the MTV stars below.
While those are the MTV Legends, more than a few reality TV stars got their start on CBS shows and have since appeared in multiple seasons of The Challenge.
One of the most notable returns will be Paulie Calafiore, who initially appeared in Big Brother and then did three seasons of MTV’s The Challenge. This marks his first appearance on the competition show since War of the Worlds 2, which also featured his girlfriend, Cara Maria Sorbello.
Also returning is Josh Martinez, last seen in Spies, Lies & Allies, and his friend Faysal “Fessy” Shafaat, last seen in Ride or Dies. The BB allies and friends infamously got into an altercation during that SLA season, resulting in Fessy getting kicked off the show, much to Josh’s dismay.
Rookies on USA 2 include popular CBS stars such as Big Brother’s Tyler Crispen, Alyssa Snida, Ameerah Jones, and Monte Hall. Alyssa Lopez returns for her second season of USA after nearly reaching the debut season’s final.
The Challenge Instagram unveiled a carousel post showing the various Big Brother Houseguests who will participate in the spin-off.
Survivor stars Michaela Bradshaw and Michele Fitzgerald return after appearing as castmates in Spies, Lies & Allies.
They’re joined by Survivor’s Sebastian Noel, Chanelle Howell, Chris Underwood, Desi Williams, and Cassidy Clark.
Last but not least are stars from CBS’ Amazing Race. Based on the Instagram post, they only include Luis Colon and Dusty Harris, whereas other CBS shows have several more cast members in USA 2.
However, the first season of The Challenge: USA included just three Amazing Race stars, with Cayla Platt the only one to reach the season’s final.
The spin-off show officially premieres on Thursday, August 10, on CBS, with live streaming and on-demand viewing of episodes expected to arrive on Paramount+, much like the first season.
The Challenge: USA 2 premieres Thursday, August 10 at 10/9c on CBS.