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Fans of MTV’s The Challenge can’t wait to hear what’s in store for The Challenge Season 37. While MTV hasn’t officially announced the show’s coming back for another season, fans and potential contestants continue to talk about what’s to come. And rumors currently suggest the new season doesn’t have the skull twist the last two seasons have had. Here’s what the rumors say.

[Spoiler alert: Potential spoilers ahead for MTV’s The Challenge Season 37.]

The past 2 seasons of MTV’s ‘The Challenge’ contained a twist with skulls

MTV’s The Challenge is no stranger to twists and turns. Every season has a new theme, and it’s typical of host T.J. Lavin to also throw in some surprises just as the competitors get comfortable with how they believe the game’s played. It looks like this upcoming season won’t have the same twist as the last few seasons, though, as the skulls are rumored to disappear.

The skull twist was first introduced on The Challenge: Total Madness, or season 35. In Total Madness, players had to win an elimination round against another competitor to get a red skull. Obtaining a red skull qualified them to compete in the final. If any competitor got to the end and didn’t have a red skull, they’d be sent home, as they couldn’t qualify to go for the big money. A similar concept was introduced during season 36, Double Agents, but the Double Agents skulls were gold.

The skull concept certainly influenced who went into elimination. It’s typical for contestants to try and avoid eliminations to skate their way to the final without ever taking out any of the other competitors, but the skull twist made this strategy impossible.

Next season reportedly doesn’t have the skull twist

Fans have varying opinions about the skull twist in MTV’s The Challenge. On one hand, it adds new complexity to the game, as it demands everyone competes in an elimination round. But it also detracted from some of the entertainment aspects of the show. Fans love to see blindsides when it comes to elimination day, and the skull twist made everyone more willing to go out and compete head-to-head. This took away some of the conflicts fans expected to see.

It looks like The Challenge Season 37 will be doing things a bit differently, though. According to The Challenge Fandom page, the new season won’t have the skull twist. It looks like the season will go back to a simpler concept where pairs compete against other pairs.

The fandom page notes U.S. players will pair with international players of the opposite gender. Eliminations will also allegedly happen in pairs. And, like Double Agents, it seems players will have the option to switch partners if they win their eliminations.

When is ‘The Challenge’ Season 37 release date?

CT Tamburello and Wes Bergmann from MTV's 'The Challenge' sitting together at a reunion show
MTV’s ‘The Challenge: Rivals II’ final episode and reunion party | Mike Coppola/Getty Images
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So, when can fans expect to see MTV’s The Challenge Season 37? MTV hasn’t released any official details regarding when the new season will release. But Challenge Mania podcast host Scott Yager gave some clues. According to Reddit, he took to Instagram to answer fan questions, and the premiere date for season 37 came up. It seems Yager predicts the new season will air sometime prior to the end of September 2021.

“Scott is usually pretty good about when things will air,” a Reddit user noted. “He hinted at All Stars being on Paramount+ before I even thought of it as a possibility. All of that is to say I was hoping for a July return of The Challenge but I’m just glad it will likely be here before the end of summer.”

ViacomCBS did not return a request for comment regarding the skull rumor by the time of publication.

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