MTV’s The Challenge brought out its 38th season, known as Ride or Dies, with a cast featuring familiar faces and eager newcomers all looking to win significant prize money.
Host TJ Lavin returned for yet another installment of the competition series, and fans have seen some gorgeous scenery in the trailers and premiere episode.
That included the initial cast taking a luxurious boat trip on the water to get to The Challenge house, which is also quite magnificent compared to previous living arrangements.
The filming location for The Challenge Season 38 is similar to one production used for a spinoff season of the show too.
It’s also quite the contrast to another spinoff season and a few recent editions of MTV’s The Challenge, most notably Total Madness.
Here are more details about where The Challenge: Ride or Dies season was filmed and a look inside the gorgeous house the cast lived in during the season.
Where was The Challenge: Ride or Dies filmed?
The premiere episode of MTV’s The Challenge: Ride or Dies arrived on Wednesday, October 12, and the first five minutes are currently available on Instagram, YouTube, and other Challenge social media.
In the clip, viewers meet some of the teams competing in Season 38, as cast members are on a small yacht traveling to the location of The Challenge house.
Within the first 15 seconds of the footage, a big hint arrives as to the Ride or Dies filming location. A shot shows a flag on one of the small yachts waving in the wind.
Upon closer inspection, it’s Argentina’s flag. It features three horizontal stripes in a blue-white-blue configuration with a brown-bordered golden sun.
The premiere episode also has the title Don’t Die for Me Argentina. That’s a play on the title of the song, Don’t Cry for Me Argentina, which was originally recorded by Julie Convington in 1976 and became part of a 1978 musical, Evita. Pop music icon Madonna recorded a newer version of the song as part of a movie adaptation of Evita.
Check out the first five minutes of the Ride or Dies premiere below, featuring Turabi “Turbo” Camkiran, Laurel Stucky, Amber Borzotra, Michele Fitzgerald, Jay Starrett, and Nelson Thomas.
Based on filming details, the location for Ride or Dies was Buenos Aires, Argentina. Interestingly, that was the filming location for The Challenge: USA, which wrapped up on CBS several weeks ago.
Per The Challenge Fandom Wiki, the CBS spinoff show was shorter and filmed in Buenos Aires from March through April 2022. MTV’s Ride or Dies required more time and was officially filmed in Buenos Aires from May through July 2022.
The Challenge: All Stars’ debut season was also filmed in Argentina but in the Andes Mountains region. The spinoff featured OGs Mark Long, Trishelle Cannatella, Katie Cooley, Aneesa Ferreira, Yes Duffy, and Darrell Taylor returning for The Challenge.
TJ Lavin shows off Season 38’s gorgeous Challenge house
In addition to the first five minutes of footage shared above, The Challenge shared another five-minute promotional video featuring TJ as he gives a tour of the lavish accommodations for the Ride or Dies cast.
In a style similar to MTV’s Cribs, TJ shows off the house’s interior and exterior as workers are still building, modifying, or fixing up things ahead of the cast’s arrival.
The exclusive sneak peek starts by showing the pool table area and the upstairs rooms. TJ indicates some rooms have two beds while others have three or four. Also, all cast members get their own bathrooms.
TJ revealed that if he were staying in the house, he’d choose the Presidential Suite, which overlooks the pool and the yard, including the outdoor gym area. In one part of the video, he also mentions the season’s location.
“The grass couldn’t be greener. The leaves are all changing colors because we are in beautiful Argentina,” TJ says as he shows off the gorgeous yard area for The Challenge house.
“Definitely one of my favorite places in the world. I love being here. I love the people. I love the culture. I love the food. It’s an incredible atmosphere,” TJ shared.
Other areas TJ looks at in the tour include the state-of-the-art outdoor gym, swimming pool, hot tub, fire pit area, handmade bar, and kitchen. There’s even a brief scene showing Aneesa Ferreira’s original teammate, who didn’t stay for the season.
It certainly looks like a “sick” house for the Challengers, as TJ calls it, and probably has many CBS spinoff show cast members wishing they’d signed up for the MTV season.
Nonetheless, it should be interesting to see if fans notice any similar daily challenge locations from CBS’ The Challenge: USA and MTV’s Ride or Dies as the season rolls along.
The Challenge: Ride or Dies airs Wednesdays at 8/7c on MTV. The Challenge: USA episodes are available on Paramount Plus.