Battle of the Eras features 40 contestants split into four teams based on which season of The Challenge they debuted on. Those who debuted during the first ten seasons (Road Rules: All Stars through The Inferno II) comprised Era I; those who debuted between the eleventh and twentieth seasons (The Gauntlet 2 through Cutthroat) made up Era II; those who debuted between the twenty-first and thirtieth seasons (Rivals through XXX: Dirty 30) made up Era III; and those who debuted between the thirty-first and thirty-ninth seasons (Vendettas through Battle for a New Champion) made up Era IV.[5]
Following the opening "Era Invitational" twist, the format of the game from episode 3-9 is as follows:
Daily challenges: Players compete in a challenge as teams. For the first challenge, teams had to elect one male and female representative, while for subsequent challenges, each team has a male and female target selected by the winners of the previous elimination round. The winning team's representatives/targets are safe from elimination while the last-place team's representatives/targets are automatically sent to the elimination round.
Nominations (The Chamber): The representatives/targets of the winning team must select a male and female representative/target from one of the teams that did not win to compete against the last-place team's representatives/targets in the elimination round. If the winners do not agree, they are sent to the elimination round instead.[6][7]
Eliminations (The Arena): The representatives/targets of the last-place team individually compete in an elimination round against the representatives/targets selected by the winners, or the winning representatives/targets if they could not agree on a decision. The winners continue in the competition and earn the power to choose the next targets, while the losers are eliminated.[8]
In episode 10, the game modified to an individual format where eliminations alternate between male and female cycles, with the first cycle determined by a coin toss. In the daily challenge, the last-place player of the designated gender is automatically sent to the Arena while the last-place player of the non-designated gender receives a disadvantage for the following challenge.[a] The winning male and female player of the daily challenge are immune and receive the power to select one of the targets to compete in the elimination round against the last-place player of the daily challenge. If the winners do not agree, the decision of the winner of the gender not competing in the elimination takes precedence.
Twists
Era Invitational: For the first challenge, contestants compete against members of their Era, as part of the "Era Invitational" twist which culminates in eight eliminations. The last-place male and female player from each Era are automatically sent to the elimination round. The winning male and female player are immune and earn the power to select two members of their own Era to compete against the last-place players in the elimination round.[9]
Karma Vote: In a twist unknown to contestants at the time, each eliminated contestant is given the chance to rate the remaining contestants from one (lowest) to five (highest). In the finale, it is revealed that the points cast for each finalist from the Karma Vote contribute to the scoring of the Final Challenge to determine the final placements.[10]
Targets: From episodes 3-9, the winners of elimination round earn the power to select one male and female player from each team as new targets for the next cycle.[11] From episodes 10-16, the winner of the elimination round selects three targets of the opposite gender (with the challenge winners immune from selection) for the next cycle.
Purge: In episode 12, the "Duned" challenge doubled as a Purge where the last-place male and female player were automatically eliminated from the competition. The regular penalties for last place were instead given to the second to last player of each gender.[12]
Light It Up: Players must assemble a three-dimensional puzzle, paddle a coracle to collect ten lights of their Era's color from buoys in a lake, then place them on their board onshore. The first male and female players from each Era to finish win, while the last-place male and female players from each Era are automatically sent to the elimination round.[13]
Winners:CT and Rachel (Era I), Bananas and Laurel (Era II), Cory and Tori (Era III), Horacio and Michele (Era IV)
Gladieater: Teams must paddle a dragon boat around an island. Once complete, each team member must consume one of eight delicacy dishes. Afterwards, teams must hang shields with logos of all 40 seasons of The Challenge to date in chronological order. The first team to finish wins while the last team to finish has their representatives automatically sent to the Arena.[14]
Winners: Era III
Cradled Cranium: Teams begin harnessed 30-feet above water. Each round, one member from each team selects an unrevealed trivia question from among various categories to answer, which also vary in points based on their difficulty. If they answer correctly, their team earns the points assigned to that question. However, if they answer incorrectly, two members of their team are dropped into the water and eliminated from the challenge. The team with the most points by the time all their team members are eliminated wins while the team with the fewest points have their targets automatically sent to the Arena. In the event of a tie, a sudden death round involving one member from each tied team is held.[11]
Winners: Era II
Fast Pass: Teams must carry and maneuver a large Y-shaped beam around various trees to reach eight sandbags, and return them to the start four at a time. Afterwards, two team members must distribute the sandbags on a balance beam so that the weight balances out. The first team to finish wins while the last team to finish has their targets automatically sent to the Arena.[8]
Winners: Era IV
Cloud Catcher: Three team members at a time race to collect large helium balloons attached to their team's poles and attempt to return them to their team's station intact, one at a time. While returning the balloons, players must take them through a pergola covered in spikes. Once teams collect all their balloons, either intact or popped, they must solve a riddle and use the answer to unlock a chest to stop their time. The team with the most intact balloons collected wins, with ties broken based on time, while the team with the fewest intact balloons (or slowest time) has their targets automatically sent to the Arena.
Winners: Era IV
Leap of Faith: Four team members are selected to be harnessed and jump off the helipad of the Bitexco Financial Tower to grab one of four hanging flags. After one team member jumps, the three other members must pull them back up before the next player can jump. Teams are imposed varying time penalties for dropping or missing a flag or collecting two flags at once. There is also a bonus flag which deducts three minutes from teams' overall time if collected. After all four flags are collected, the non-jumping team members must solve a puzzle to have their team's time stopped. For teams with only four members, one team member who jumped must also solve the puzzle on their team's behalf. The team with the fastest time wins while the team with the slowest time has their targets automatically sent to the Arena.[15]
Winners: Era III
Battle for Honor: Inspired by the film Gladiator II, the challenge is played in 20-minute male and female heats. Players begin on a muddy platform and attempt to push their opponents into the surrounding water using a shield while avoiding being pushed off themselves. Players are eliminated from the challenge if they are pushed into the water or get held down for an extended time. The team with the most players still standing by the end of both heats wins while the team with the fewest players has their targets automatically sent to the Arena.[16]
Winners: Era IV
Bottoms Out: Teams attempt to answer 27 math questions, with each equation only displayed briefly before the next one is shown. For each equation teams answer correctly, they receive one handhold or foothold for the next part of the challenge. Afterwards, teams enter a shipping container above water, where the walls are mounted with the handholds or footholds they earned. Once the bottom of the container opens, teams attempt to hold themselves up for as long as possible from the handholds or footholds. The team that holds on for the longest time wins while the team with the shortest time has their targets automatically sent to the Arena.
Winners: Era I
Fire Away: A trebuchet launches balls into a field which players must collect and place in a tube at their station two at a time. After collecting enough balls to fill the tube, players must then solve a puzzle. The first male and female player to solve their puzzle wins while the last-place female player receives a disadvantage at the next challenge and the last-place male player is automatically sent to the Arena.[17]
Winners:Jordan and Tori
Building Bridges: Players climb up a tower then slide down a pole to a wall with platforms along it. They must ascend the platforms, collect three coins along the way, and deposit the coins in a slot at the top. Afterwards, players must solve a puzzle, cross a bridge, then collect and deposit three coins from a second wall. Lastly, they must swing from a rope into a stack of boxes below. Players are disqualified from the challenge if they fall off the course at any time. The male and female player with the fastest time wins while the male player with the slowest time receives a disadvantage at the next challenge and the female player with the slowest time is automatically sent to the Arena. If multiple players are disqualified, last-place is determined by distance progressed along the course. As a disadvantage for placing last in the previous challenge, Michele is imposed a 30-second time penalty.[18]
Winners:Jenny and Kyland
Duned: Players race to complete a three-checkpoint "mini-final" across a series of sand dunes. The first male and female player to finish wins while the last-place male and female player are eliminated from the competition. The second-last female player receives a disadvantage at the next challenge and the second-last male player is automatically sent to the Arena. As a disadvantage for placing last in the previous challenge, Theo is imposed a two-minute time penalty.
Checkpoint 1: Players must dig through sand to find a key, or time-out after 30 minutes, before proceeding to the next checkpoint.
Checkpoint 2: Players must use their key to unlock a stand-up paddleboard, paddle down a river, then proceed on foot to the next checkpoint.
Checkpoint 3: Players complete a memory game by flipping over coracles to reveal a previous season of The Challenge and match it to a letter on the coracle in the corresponding position on the other side of the area. Once complete, players proceed to the finish line.[12]
Winners:Kyland and Tori
Eliminated:Laurel and Nehemiah
40 Yard Dash: Players race through various obstacles in a 40-shaped trench to collect six puzzle pieces and return them their station one at a time, before using the pieces to assemble a puzzle. The first male and female player to solve the puzzle wins. The last-place male player receives a disadvantage at the next challenge while the last-place female player is automatically sent to the Arena. As a disadvantage for placing second-last in the previous challenge, Michele is imposed a one-minute time penalty.[19]
Winners:Cara Maria and Jordan
'Nother Trucker: Two players at a time are harnessed on top of a truck. As the truck speeds down a road, they must swing from a rope and try to hit 12 roadside targets. The male and female player with the most targets hit wins. In the event of a tie for first, a sudden-death round is held. The female player with the fewest targets hit receives a disadvantage at the next challenge while the male player with the fewest targets hit is automatically sent to the Arena. As a disadvantage for placing last in the previous challenge, Cory is imposed a one-target penalty.[20]
Winners:Derek C. and Rachel
Tight Quarters: Players must navigate the Củ Chi tunnels to locate and solve a slide puzzle before collecting a bag of puzzle pieces. They must then take the pieces through a second tunnel before using them to solve another puzzle. There is a 30-minute time-limit before players time out, and players are disqualified from the challenge if they cross any barriers set in the tunnels. The male and female player with the fastest time wins. The male player with the slowest time receives a disadvantage at the next challenge while the female player with the slowest time is automatically sent to the Arena. As a disadvantage for placing last in the previous challenge, Aviv is imposed a two-minute time penalty.[21][22]
Winners:Kyland and Tori
Fire Plunge: One at a time, players are harnessed inside a convertible which they must "hot-wire" by connecting four cables to illuminate four lights. Once complete, the convertible drives off a cliff, leaving players harnessed above the water. Players must then unclip into the water and swim 500 metres (1,600ft) to shore. The male and female player with the fastest time wins and receive a cash prize of $5,000 each. The female player with the slowest time receives a disadvantage at the next challenge while the male player with the slowest time is automatically sent to the Arena. As a disadvantage for placing last in the previous challenge, Bananas is imposed a 30-second time penalty.[23]
Winners:Jordan and Tori
Fortress Bricks: Players must carry 40 cinder blocks, two at a time, from their puzzle station within Fort Santa Isabel and deposit them outside. After depositing four cinder blocks, players can take one of ten planks to their puzzle station, repeating this process until they collect all ten planks. Afterwards, players must use the planks to assemble a puzzle. The first male and female player to assemble the puzzle wins. The last-place male player receives a disadvantage for the Final Challenge while the last-place female player is automatically sent to the Arena. As a disadvantage for placing last in the previous challenge, Cara Maria is imposed a three-minute time penalty.[24]
Winners:Jenny and Jordan
Elimination games
Balls In: Each round, players play both offense and defense. The offense player has one attempt to deposit a ball into a goal at the center of a ring (or enter the inner boundary surrounding the ring with the ball) while the defense player attempts to stop them by blocking them and knocking the ball onto out of bounds. Players then switch roles and repeat the process before the end of the round. The first player to score in two out of three rounds wins.
Played by:Amanda vs. Nia, Leroy vs. Tony
Pole Wrestle: Players begin at the center of a ring with both hands on a pole. The first player to wrestle the pole out of their opponent's hands two out of three times wins.[13]
Played by:Aneesa vs. Katie, Derrick vs. Mark
Hall Brawl: Players must run through a narrow hallway, past/through their opponent and push a button at the opposite end. The player to hit the button first in two of three rounds wins.[25]
Played by:Olivia vs. Nurys, Paulie vs. Theo
Take Shelter: Players have 20 minutes to barricade the entrance to a bunker using provided materials. After those 20 minutes are up, players attempt to break into their opponent's bunker. The first player to break into the bunker and switch on the light inside wins.
Played by:Cara Maria vs. KellyAnne, Brandon vs. Ryan
One Step at a Time: Following the directions/restrictions listed on a board, players must place colored tiles onto a frame one at a time to create a path to the other side of the Arena. Each time they make a mistake, they must remove the incorrect tiles one at a time. The first player to correctly place their path to the other side of the Arena wins.[14][26]
Played by:Averey vs. Jodi, Darrell vs. Tony
Pick It Up: Players must throw a ball into an overhead track, collect as many bamboo jacks scattered around the Arena as possible, and catch the ball as it rolls out the other end of the track. After catching the ball, players can place the jacks they are holding on a board, and repeat this process until they collect 40 jacks. Each time players miss the ball, they must place the jacks they are holding behind a line further from their original point and collect them from there instead. The first player to collect 40 jacks on their board wins.[27]
Played by:Aneesa vs. Jenny, Derrick vs. Horacio
Getting Hammered: Players must remove 100 nails from a board, hammer them into an adjacent board, then press a button at the center of the Arena. The first player to finish wins.[15]
Played by:Emily vs. Tina, CT vs. Nehemiah
To the Point: Players begin in opposite sides of a cage which has a wall of spikes on each side and dozens of balls in the center for either player to throw. Players attempt to throw the balls onto their opponent's spikes, or block their opponent's shots, while their opponent tries to do the same. If a ball lands in the boundary in front of the wall, it is considered "dead" and can no longer be thrown. The player with the most balls landed on their opponent's spikes once all the balls are used up wins.[28]
Played by:Brad vs. Cory, Jonna vs. Rachel
Boxster-Phobia: Players begin behind a structure containing five sliding doors blocked by rods. They must slide the rods out of the structure to access the doors and make their way to the other end. Each door also has numbers on them which form an equation, the solution of which is the combination to unlock a button at the end of the structure. The first player to make their way through the structure, solve the equation and press their button wins.[15]
Played by:Darrell vs. Kyland, Michele vs. Tina
Fate of the Gladiators: Inspired by the film Gladiator II, players begin inside a boxing ring, with one player designated as the "striker" and the other as the "evader". The striker is blindfolded and attempts to strike as many of the 16 targets on the chest guard the evader is wearing as they can, while the evader tries to evade them. Players then switch roles and repeat this process. The player who hits the most targets during their turn as striker wins, with ties broken based on time. Additionally, the winners also receive tickets to the world premiere of Gladiator II.[29][30]
Played by:Cory vs. Derrick K., Averey vs. Rachel
Cable Connection Showdown: Players must untangle a bundle of cords and plug the cords into the corresponding outlet on a motherboard in order to light up a board with all 40 logos of The Challenge to date. The first player to correctly connect the plugs and press a button to light up all 40 logos wins.[31]
Played by:Devin vs. Kyland, Kaycee vs. Tori
Killer Quads: Players begin on quad bikes on opposite sides of a course. They must drive around the course and attempt to catch up to their opponent and take a ribbon hanging from their opponent's bike. The first player to collect their opponent's ribbon two out of three times wins.[17]
Played by:Bananas vs. Ryan
Forty-Fication: Each player has a stack of 40 chained-together crates which they must transfer to their designated square. To release the crates, players must solve math equations and enter the solutions to unlock and remove the chains. The first player to transfer all 40 crates to their designated area wins.[18]
Played by:Michele vs. Nia
Cramping Out: To begin, players place eight poles through their opponent's tube, making it harder for them to crawl through. Each round, players have one minute to crawl through their tube. After both players are through, they compete in a game of "high low" where the first player through their tube guesses whether the next card is higher or lower in the previous one. The winner gets to add two poles to their opponent's tube for the next round while the loser can only add one pole. This process then repeats until one player is unable to make it through their tube in time, with the time-limit reduced to 30 seconds after an extended period. The last player standing wins.[12]
Played by:Bananas vs. Theo
Stranded: Players assemble a ladder by placing 40 rungs in their correct position within a DNA-shaped frame. Once complete, they must climb the ladder to collect a bag of letter tiles and use the letters to solve the three-word phrase: "Not Eliminated Tonight". The first player to solve the phrase wins.[19]
Played by:Michele vs. Olivia
Coming from Behind: Players alternate rounds playing "offense" and "defense". The offense player attempts to run down a track and ring a bell at the end to score a point. Meanwhile, the defense player runs down a shorter track on the opposite side of a wall, jumps over a hay bale at the end, then attempts to knock the offense player out of bounds before they reach the bell to earn the point instead. The first player to score four points wins.[32]
Played by:Cory vs. Josh
Iron Triangle: Players begin in a triangular cage, where physical contact is permitted, containing a ball inside. Each round, players attempt to retrieve the ball, throw it out of the cage and have it land in an outer circle surrounding the cage to score a point. The first player to score two points wins.[22]
Played by:Aviv vs. Jenny
Closing Time: Players must spin a wheel to open a gate, make their way through before it closes, then carry as many cinder blocks as they can onto their station at once, repeating this process until they collect all their cinder blocks. Afterwards, players must use the cinder blocks to assemble a puzzle. The first player to finish wins.[23]
Played by:Cory vs. Derek C.
The Final Elimination: Players must tread water in the sea for as long as possible. After two hours, they must keep their hands, and later their elbows, above the surface. The last player standing wins.[33]
Played by:Cara Maria vs. Tori
Final Challenge
For the Final Challenge, players complete a series of checkpoints to earn points based on their placements. Between checkpoints, players are transported by a boat called the Sinister and must remain standing while in transit.
At the start of the Final Challenge, it is revealed that the final placements are determined both by points earned from checkpoints of the Final Challenge, as well as points cast by eliminated players as part of the Karma Vote twist. The male and female player with the most combined points are declared the champions of Battle of the Eras and receive $400,000 each; second place receive $75,000 each; third place receive $25,000 each.
The scoring system was revealed at the end of the Final Challenge. The best-performing male and female player of each checkpoint receive four points; second receive three; third receive two; fourth receive one. For the Karma Vote, the male and female player awarded the most points from the eliminated contestants receive eight points added to their score; second receive six; third receive four; fourth receive two.
Day one
Checkpoint #1 (Sandblast): Players must swim to shore, then run along the beach to collect five puzzle pieces, one at a time, and return them to their puzzle station. Afterwards, they must use the pieces to solve a three-dimensional puzzle before swimming back to the Sinister. As a disadvantage for placing last in the "Fortress Bricks" challenge, Derek C. is imposed a three-minute time penalty.
Checkpoint #2 (Ghost Ship): Players must swim from the Sinister to another ship where they find a sign instructing them to dive to view and memorize a board of symbols underneath the ship, before replicating them at their station using tiles onboard. Afterwards, players must swim back to the Sinister.
Checkpoint #3 (A Thousand Steps): Players must swim to shore, then follow a trail of 1,000 steps across an island. There, players find signs instructing them to swim 500 metres (1,600ft) to a raft offshore to view an image painted on nearby trees, proceed to their puzzle station and replicate the image using blocks. If players recreate the image incorrectly, they must repeat the course before they can try again. Afterwards, players must swim back to the Sinister.
Checkpoint #4 (The Overnight Checkpoint): Each player has a chest and a bag containing thousands of coins. They must count the coins and slot them in the chest for 30 minutes, then spend 30 minutes singing "Show Me the Way to Go Home", repeating this process throughout the night until they have slotted all their coins into the chest. Placements are determined based on how accurately the coins are counted by the end. After slotting all the coins into the chest, players spend the rest of the night on the Sinister.
Day two
Checkpoint #5 (Submerging Terror): Players swim from the Sinister to a floating platform. From there, they must swim through a cave towards a beach, collect a paddle and return to the platform. Afterwards, players must retrieve a key from a cage submerged under the platform, use it to unlock a bangka boat, then paddle back to the Sinister.
Checkpoint #6 (Mathematical Leisure): Players swim from the Sinister to an island where they can replenish themselves with coconut water. There, the first two players compete against each other to answer a math question as fast as possible. The first player to answer correctly can swim back to the Sinister while the defeated player competes against the next player to arrive, with this process repeating for every arriving finalist. The player who loses the final matchup must wait until the second-last player reaches the Sinister before they can return.
Checkpoint #7 (Champions Cove): Players swim from the Sinister to a buoy where they are instructed to ride an underwater scooter and follow a series of buoys into a cove. There, players must collect a token submerged underwater before riding back to the Sinister where the final results are announced.[34]
Final results
Winners: Jenny and Rachel ($237,500 each)[b], Jordan ($400,000)
The contestant won the daily challenge, was immune from elimination, and selected the elimination contestants
The contestant's team won the daily challenge, had the power to select the elimination contestants, but could not come to a decision and was sent into the elimination round and won
The contestant was not selected for the elimination round
The contestant was nominated for the elimination round but was not selected
The contestant placed last in the daily challenge and received a disadvantage at the next challenge
The contestant won the elimination in the elimination round
The contestant lost in the elimination round and was eliminated
The contestant placed last in the challenge and was eliminated
The contestant's team won the daily challenge, had the power to select the elimination contestants, but could not come to a decision and was sent into the elimination round, lost and was eliminated
The two-part reunion special aired on January 15 and January 22, 2025 and was hosted by entertainment personality Maria Menounos.[55] The reunion was filmed in October 2024 in Amsterdam, Netherlands.[56]
Reception
The season received a nomination in the "Outstanding Reality Competition Program" category at the 36th GLAAD Media Awards.[57]
Notes
1 2 As the "Duned" challenge in episode 12 was also a Purge, the last-place male and female players were eliminated. The second-to-last male contestant was automatically sent to the Arena, while the second-to-last female contestant received a disadvantage for the next challenge.
1 2 3 4 Jenny and Rachel ended up tied in points in the Final Challenge, and both contestants were crowned champions. They split the first and second place prize for the female finalists, winning $237,500 each.
↑ In episode 3, the winning representatives from Era III, Tony and Averey, failed to reach a decision. This led to a stalemate and resulted in them being sent into the elimination round against Darrell and Jodi, respectively.
↑ A winner's choice was not held in episode 13 as Olivia was the only target left to be chosen after Cara Maria won the "40 Yard Dash" challenge and Michele placed last.
↑ A winner's choice was not held in episode 16 as Cory was the only target left to be chosen after Jordan won the "Fire Plunge" challenge and Derek C. placed last.
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