The Challenge: USA 1 is the first season of The Challenge: USA series. The season features reality titans from the CBS universe competing exclusively against each other for the first time ever. The winners of the season will advance to The Challenge: World Championship where they will compete against the winners of The Challenge: Argentina, The Challenge: Australia, and The Challenge: UK, as well as notable Challenge Veterans, to determine the first-ever Challenge world champion. The season filmed in Argentina from March to April 2022. This will be the first season to air exclusively on CBS. It premiered on Wednesday, July 6.
Description[]
For the first time in Challenge history, reality titans from the CBS universe will compete in the most unpredictable and demanding game of their lives. With an ever-changing game, players will be in a constant state of paranoia, unable to trust anyone but themselves. The CBS all-stars from Survivor, Big Brother, The Amazing Race and Love Island will compete on The Challenge: USA this summer on the CBS Television Network for a chance to join the upcoming The Challenge: World Championship, streaming on Paramount+.
Format[]
Each challenge, contestants will compete with a partner of the opposite sex, which are then followed by an elimination round known as “The Arena”. Each contestant will have a different partner at each challenge, and the pairs are determined by The Algorithm. The winners of the challenge will be safe from elimination and split $10,000 to be added to their individual bank accounts. The last-place finishers will automatically be sent into elimination. In the Arena, the winners will select another team to compete against the losers. The two teams will compete in elimination where the winners will stay in the game and take their opponent's bank total, while the losers will be eliminated.
After seven challenges, the game will become an individual competition and eliminations will be split by gender. The format remains largely unchanged.
Twists[]
- Individual Bank Accounts: Similar to The Ruins and Vendettas, each contestant will start off with $1,000 in their individual bank accounts. They can earn more money by winning challenges or eliminations. Players will need at least $5,000 in their account to qualify for the final.
- The Algorithm: The Algorithm is a random draw system that determines the pairs for the daily challenge. New pairs are selected after every elimination. No player can have the same partner again until it is mathematically impossible to pair them with someone they haven't worked with. Then, they will not be paired with the same player twice in a row.
- Every Man for Himself: When 14 players remain, the game will turn into a completely individual game.
Contestants[]
Game Summary[]
| Elimination chart | |||||||||||||||||
| Episode | Winners | Arena contestants | Arena game | Arena outcome | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Challenge | Last-place | Winners' pick | Winners | Eliminated | ||||||||||||
| 1 | Down to Do the Math |   |
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Knot So Fast | |
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| 2 | Yeah Buoy |  |
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Knowledge Is Powered | |
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| 3 | Hang On Man | |
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Plug and Play | |
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| 4 | Falling Off the Knowledge |  |
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Smash In Puzzle Out | |
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| 5 | Barreled Treasure | |
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A Dark Turn | |
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| 6 | Containment |  |
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Spelling Eeb | |
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| 7 | Wreck-Reational Driving | |
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Ball & Chain | |
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| 8 | Having a Blast | |
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Hall Brawl | |
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| 9 | Collect Four |  |
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In a Roll | |
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| 10 | Code Crossing | |
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Balls In | |
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| 11 | Getting Tired[1] | |
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Pole Wrestle | |
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| 12 | Final Challenge | |
2nd: Tyson[2], 3rd: Domenick, 4th: Enzo[3], DQ: Ben[4] | ||||||||||||||
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2nd: Cayla, 3rd: Justine, 4th: Angela[5], 5th: Desi[3] | ||||||||||||||||
Episode Progress[]
| Contestants | Episodes | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | Finale | ||||
| Danny | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | WIN | SAFE | SAFE | WINNER | |||
| Sarah | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | ELIM | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | ELIM | SAFE | WIN | WINNER | |||
| Cayla | SAFE | ELIM | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | WIN | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SECOND | |||
| Tyson | WIN | WIN | SAFE | SAFE | WIN | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | WIN | SECOND | |||
| Domenick | SAFE | SAFE | ELIM | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | WIN | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | WIN | THIRD | |||
| Justine | SAFE | WIN | SAFE | ELIM | SAFE | ELIM | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | THIRD | |||
| Angela | WIN | SAFE | WIN | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | WIN | SAFE | WIN | ELIM | FOURTH | |||
| Desi | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | WIN | SAFE | SAFE | WIN | SAFE | SAFE | FIFTH | |||
| Enzo | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | ELIM | SAFE | ELIM | SAFE | ELIM | SAFE | FOURTH | |||
| Ben | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | WIN | SAFE | WIN | SAFE | DQ | |||
| Alyssa | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | WIN | SAFE | SAFE | ELIM | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | OUT | ||||
| David | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | ELIM | SAFE | WIN | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | OUT | |||||
| Cashay | SAFE | SAFE | ELIM | SAFE | WIN | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | OUT | ||||||
| Leo | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | ELIM | SAFE | ELIM | OUT | |||||||
| Kyland | ELIM | SAFE | WIN | WIN | SAFE | SAFE | OUT | ||||||||
| Kyra | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | OUT | ||||||||
| Derek | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | OUT | |||||||||
| Shannon | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | OUT | |||||||||
| Azäh | ELIM | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | OUT | ||||||||||
| Cinco | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | OUT | ||||||||||
| Shan | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | OUT | |||||||||||
| Xavier | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | OUT | |||||||||||
| James | SAFE | ELIM | OUT | ||||||||||||
| Tasha | SAFE | SAFE | OUT | ||||||||||||
| Cashel | SAFE | OUT | |||||||||||||
| Tiffany | SAFE | OUT | |||||||||||||
| Cely | OUT | ||||||||||||||
| Javonny | OUT | ||||||||||||||
- Competition
- The contestant won the Final Challenge.
- The contestant withdrew from the Final Challenge.
- The contestant was disqualified in the Final Challenge.
- The contestant won the daily challenge and $5,000 in their bank account.
- The contestant was not selected for the Arena.
- The contestant won in the Arena.
- The contestant lost in the Arena and was eliminated.
- The contestant medically disqualified.
Partner Progress[]
| Contestants | Episodes | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | Finale | |||||||||
| Danny | Shan | Desi | Azäh | Kyra | Angela | Alyssa | Justine | Individual | Cayla | Angela | Sarah | Justine | ||||||||
| Sarah | Enzo | Kyland | Cinco | Derek | Leo | Ben | Tyson | N/A | Tyson | Danny | Domenick | |||||||||
| Cayla | David | James | Xavier | Tyson | Derek | Leo | Domenick | Danny | N/A | Domenick | Tyson | |||||||||
| Tyson | Angela | Justine | Alyssa | Cayla | Cashay | Kyra | Sarah | Justine | Sarah | Angela | Cayla | |||||||||
| Domenick | Justine | Shannon | Cashay | Angela | Desi | Angela | Cayla | Angela | Justine | Cayla | Sarah | |||||||||
| Justine | Domenick | Tyson | Leo | David | Ben | Enzo | Danny | Tyson | Domenick | N/A | Danny | |||||||||
| Angela | Tyson | Leo | Kyland | Domenick | Danny | Domenick | Enzo | Domenick | Danny | Tyson | N/A | |||||||||
| Desi | Cinco | Danny | Enzo | Leo | Domenick | David | Ben | Enzo | ||||||||||||
| Enzo | Sarah | Alyssa | Desi | Cashay | Kyra | Justine | Angela | Desi | ||||||||||||
| Ben | Alyssa | Shan | Kyra | Azäh | Justine | Sarah | Desi | |||||||||||||
| Alyssa | Ben | Enzo | Tyson | Kyland | David | Danny | Leo | |||||||||||||
| David | Cayla | Kyra | Shannon | Justine | Alyssa | Desi | Cashay | |||||||||||||
| Cashay | Derek | Cinco | Domenick | Enzo | Tyson | Kyland | David | |||||||||||||
| Leo | Tiffany | Angela | Justine | Desi | Sarah | Cayla | Alyssa | |||||||||||||
| Kyland | Azäh | Sarah | Angela | Alyssa | Shannon | Cashay | Kyra | |||||||||||||
| Kyra | Cashel | David | Ben | Danny | Enzo | Tyson | Kyland | |||||||||||||
| Derek | Cashay | Tasha | Shan | Sarah | Cayla | Shannon | ||||||||||||||
| Shannon | James | Domenick | David | Cinco | Kyland | Derek | ||||||||||||||
| Azäh | Kyland | Xavier | Danny | Ben | Cinco | |||||||||||||||
| Cinco | Desi | Cashay | Sarah | Shannon | Azäh | |||||||||||||||
| Shan | Danny | Ben | Derek | Xavier | ||||||||||||||||
| Xavier | Tasha | Azäh | Cayla | Shan | ||||||||||||||||
| James | Shannon | Cayla | Tasha | |||||||||||||||||
| Tasha | Xavier | Derek | James | |||||||||||||||||
| Cashel | Kyra | Tiffany | ||||||||||||||||||
| Tiffany | Leo | Cashel | ||||||||||||||||||
| Cely | Javonny | |||||||||||||||||||
| Javonny | Cely | |||||||||||||||||||
Bank Progress[]
| Contestants | Episodes | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | Finale | ||
| Danny | $1,000 | $1,000 | $1,000 | $1,000 | $1,000 | $1,000 | $1,000 | $1,000 | $6,000 | $6,000 | $6,000 | $245,500 | |
| Sarah | $1,000 | $1,000 | $1,000 | $1,000 | $2,500 | $2,500 | $2,500 | $2,500 | $10,000 | $10,000 | $15,000 | $254,500 | |
| Cayla | $1,000 | $2,000 | $2,000 | $2,000 | $2,000 | $2,000 | $7,000 | $7,000 | $7,000 | $7,000 | $7,000 | $7,000 | |
| Tyson | $6,000 | $11,000 | $11,000 | $11,000 | $16,000 | $16,000 | $16,000 | $16,000 | $16,000 | $16,000 | $18,500 | $18,500 | |
| Domenick | $1,000 | $1,000 | $2,500 | $2,500 | $2,500 | $2,500 | $7,500 | $7,500 | $7,500 | $7,500 | $10,000 | $10,000 | |
| Justine | $1,000 | $6,000 | $6,000 | $7,000 | $7,000 | $8,000 | $8,000 | $8,000 | $8,000 | $8,000 | $8,000 | $8,000 | |
| Angela | $6,000 | $6,000 | $11,000 | $11,000 | $11,000 | $11,000 | $11,000 | $16,000 | $16,000 | $21,000 | $33,500 | $33,500 | |
| Desi | $1,000 | $1,000 | $1,000 | $1,000 | $1,000 | $6,000 | $6,000 | $6,000 | $11,000 | $11,000 | $11,000 | $11,000 | |
| Enzo | $1,000 | $1,000 | $1,000 | $1,000 | $1,000 | $2,000 | $2,000 | $11,000 | $11,000 | $18,000 | $18,000 | $18,000 | |
| Ben | $1,000 | $1,000 | $1,000 | $1,000 | $1,000 | $1,000 | $1,000 | $6,000 | $6,000 | $11,000 | $11,000 | $11,000 | |
| Alyssa | $1,000 | $1,000 | $1,000 | $6,000 | $6,000 | $6,000 | $12,500 | $12,500 | $12,500 | $12,500 | $12,500 | ||
| David | $1,000 | $1,000 | $1,000 | $2,000 | $2,000 | $7,000 | $7,000 | $7,000 | $7,000 | $7,000 | |||
| Cashay | $1,000 | $1,000 | $2,500 | $2,500 | $7,500 | $7,500 | $7,500 | $7,500 | $7,500 | ||||
| Leo | $1,000 | $1,000 | $1,000 | $1,000 | $2,500 | $2,500 | $9,000 | $9,000 | |||||
| Kyland | $2,000 | $2,000 | $7,000 | $12,000 | $12,000 | $12,000 | $12,000 | ||||||
| Kyra | $1,000 | $1,000 | $1,000 | $1,000 | $1,000 | $1,000 | $1,000 | ||||||
| Derek | $1,000 | $1,000 | $1,000 | $1,000 | $1,000 | $1,000 | |||||||
| Shannon | $1,000 | $1,000 | $1,000 | $1,000 | $1,000 | $1,000 | |||||||
| Azäh | $2,000 | $2,000 | $2,000 | $2,000 | $2,000 | ||||||||
| Cinco | $1,000 | $1,000 | $1,000 | $1,000 | $1,000 | ||||||||
| Shan | $1,000 | $1,000 | $1,000 | $1,000 | |||||||||
| Xavier | $1,000 | $1,000 | $1,000 | $1,000 | |||||||||
| James | $1,000 | $2,000 | $2,000 | ||||||||||
| Tasha | $1,000 | $1,000 | $1,000 | ||||||||||
| Cashel | $1,000 | $1,000 | |||||||||||
| Tiffany | $1,000 | $1,000 | |||||||||||
| Cely | $1,000 | ||||||||||||
| Javonny | $1,000 | ||||||||||||
Final Challenge Scoreboard[]
Similar to All Stars, the Final Challenge will be played in a series of checkpoints. The first pair to complete each checkpoint receives 5 points each; second receives 4 points; third receives 3 points; fourth receives 2 points; fifth receives 1 point. The Algorithm determines the pair for each stage. Because Ben medically disqualified prior to the the Final, one girl had to run each stage alone. In the final stage, players will compete as individuals, and it will be worth double points.
| Contestants | Checkpoint | Finish | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Total | ||
| Danny | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | - | 17 | WINNER |
| Sarah | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | - | WINNER | |
| Cayla | 5 | 2 | 3 | 4 | - | 14 | SECOND |
| Tyson | 3 | 4 | 5 | 4 | - | 16 | SECOND |
| Domenick | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | - | 14 | THIRD |
| Justine | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | - | 11 | THIRD |
| Angela | 2 | 5 | 5 | - | 12 | FOURTH | |
| Desi | - | 0 | FIFTH | ||||
| Enzo | - | FOURTH | |||||
Notes[]
- ↑ Domenick and Tyson tied for first place at the "Getting Tired" challenge. They were both declared winners and split the $5,000 men's prize in their bank accounts.
- ↑ Cayla, Domenick, Justine, and Tyson withdrew from the Final Challenge in the last stage due to exhaustion. Cayla and Tyson placed second after having more points over Domenick and Justine.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Enzo withdrew from the Final Challenge at the first leg, and Desi was disqualified because she was his partner.
- ↑ Ben was medically disqualified prior to Final Challenge due to a shoulder injury.
- ↑ Angela was disqualified from the competition after failing to complete the overnight stage.
Episodes[]
| Episode | Original Air Date | Viewers (in millions) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "The United States of Challenge" | July 6, 2022 | 2.33 |
| 2 | "Oh Say Can You See Tiffany" | July 13, 2022 | 2.20 |
| 3 | "Declarations of Independence" | July 20, 2022 | 2.13 |
| 4 | "Liberty and Justice for All" | July 27, 2022 | 2.18 |
| 5 | "In Tyson We Trust" | August 3, 2022 | 2.08 |
| 6 | "A Civil War" | August 10, 2022 | 2.19 |
| 7 | "State of the Unions" | August 17, 2022 | 2.19 |
| 8 | "Independence Day" | August 24, 2022 | 2.10 |
| 9 | "Nevertheless She Persisted" | August 31, 2022 | 1.94 |
| 10 | "Pledges of Allegiance" | September 7, 2022 | 2.11 |
| 11 | "Home of the Brave" | September 14, 2022 | 1.76 |
| 12 | |||
Trivia[]
- Florita Diaz (Love Island USA 3), Josh Goldstein (Love Island USA 3), Mike Holloway (Survivor: Worlds Apart), and Olivia Kaiser were flown to Argentina with the initial cast to serve as alternates in case anybody was disqualified. They were eventually sent home after being unused.
- Of the four original World Championship seasons, this is the only season not to share the same villa or elimination set with Ride or Dies.
| The Challenge Seasons |
|---|
Road Rules: All Stars · Real World/Road Rules Challenge · Challenge 2000 · Extreme Challenge · Battle of the Seasons (2002) · Battle of the Sexes · The Gauntlet · The Inferno · Battle of the Sexes 2 · The Inferno II · The Gauntlet 2 · Fresh Meat · The Duel · The Inferno 3 · The Gauntlet III · The Island · The Duel II · The Ruins · Fresh Meat II · Cutthroat · Rivals · Battle of the Exes · Battle of the Seasons (2012) · Rivals II · Free Agents · Battle of the Exes II · Battle of the Bloodlines · Rivals III · Invasion of the Champions · Dirty 30 · Vendettas · Final Reckoning · War of the Worlds · War of the Worlds 2 · Total Madness · Double Agents · Spies, Lies & Allies · Ride or Dies · Battle for a New Champion · Battle of the Eras · Vets & New Threats Champs vs. Pros · Champs vs. Stars 1 · Champs vs. Stars 2 All Stars 1 · All Stars 2 · All Stars 3 · All Stars 4 · All Stars: Rivals USA 1 · Australia · Argentina · UK · World Championship · USA 2 · Sweden |