The Challenge returns to MTV with Season 38, which will be Ride or Dies, and features returning stars and eager newcomers in the cast.
Several former champions will be amongst the seasoned vets, bringing plenty of experience to the game.
They include recent winners Kaycee Clark and Amber Borzotra, who each won alongside longtime cast member Chris “CT” Tamburello.
However, CT won’t be back this season, and the women will be partnered with new Ride or Dies teammates.
In Season 38, Kaycee teams with her brother, Kenny Clark. Amber teams up with her boyfriend, Chauncey Palmer. So, the two recent Challenge winners will have to try to win this season with inexperienced rookies by their sides.
Meanwhile, there are several teams known as Heavy Hitters in the game. Each of these squads features veteran experience and at least one team member with multiple championships, making for some tough opponents.
What are Heavy Hitters teams in The Challenge: Ride or Dies?
In The Challenge Season 38 trailer, viewers saw familiar stars, including Tori Deal, Devin Walker, Fessy Shafaat, Johnny Bananas, Nany Gonzalez, Jordan Wiseley, and Aneesa Ferreira.
However, not all of these cast members will be present at the start of the premiere episode. Heavy Hitters are teams entering the game at different points during the season.
As of this report, episodes have yet to air, and there are no specific details about when these teams will enter the game or the circumstances.
In previous installments of The Challenge, viewers saw players known as Mercenaries join the game at different points during the season. These were veteran cast members, including CT, Tori, Jordan, and Laurel Stucky.
They entered the game to compete against the season’s main cast members, typically in eliminations. If they won, they claimed a spot in the game. If they lost, they got eliminated, and the main cast member got to stay in the game.
It’s unknown if the Heavy Hitters will enter with similar circumstances or will automatically get a spot in the game.
Who are the Heavy Hitters teams in Season 38?
There will be three teams that are Heavy Hitters in The Challenge: Ride or Dies cast. Bananas and his veteran teammate Nany lead the way. These two are friends and allies who’ve appeared in many seasons of the show.
Bananas, 40, has won seven Challenge championships, while Nany, 33, has appeared in three finals, including the last two seasons. She’s yet to win one, so she’s likely hoping this will be her season to win with Bananas as her veteran partner.
For Bananas, this is his return to the show after two seasons away. Fans last saw him during his Total Madness run, en route to his seventh win. Nany was part of MTV’s previous season, Spies, Lies & Allies, where she reached the final only to be ousted in a Day 2 elimination by her girlfriend, Kaycee.
A second Heavy Hitters team consists of Jordan and Aneesa. Jordan, 33, is a three-time champion and recently appeared in The Challenge: All Stars 3 spinoff. Aneesa, 41, has appeared in 15 seasons leading up to Ride or Dies, and she’s competed in two regular season finals.
She last appeared in The Challenge: Spies, Lies & Allies, where fans saw her make an unfortunate early exit due to a bad injury. Now she’s back and has a strong teammate ready to help her get to the final. Jordan hasn’t been on the regular season since Total Madness, which also featured his fiancee at the time, Tori.
Tori’s also on Ride or Dies, and as fans know, she’s close with Aneesa, and Jordan is no longer with Tori. It should make for an interesting situation for these competitors!
The final Heavy Hitters squad features four-time champion Darrell Taylor and three-time champ Veronica Portillo. Both cast members appeared in The Challenge: All Stars 3 spinoff and return to MTV for another shot at winning the regular season.
Darrell, 42, last appeared on MTV’s Double Agents season, where he was teammates with Amber until he got eliminated by Cory Wharton. Veronica, 44, last competed on Final Reckoning alongside CT, but they had issues working together all season and got eliminated in Episode 10.
Darrell and Veronica bring seven combined championships to Ride or Dies, so this OG team seems like they should be among the favorites to win!
The Challenge: Ride or Dies premieres Wednesday, October 12, at 8/7c on MTV.
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