The Challenge: Invasion of the Champions

The Challenge: Invasion of the Champions
Genre	Reality game show
Created by	Mary-Ellis Bunim Jonathan Murray
Presented by	T. J. Lavin
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No. of series	29
Production
Production locations	Krabi, Thailand
Running time	Episodes 1/2: 120 minutes (including commercials); All other episodes: 60 minutes (including commercials)
Original release
Network	MTV
Release	February 7, 2017 (2017-02-07)

The Challenge: Invasion of the Champions (originally promoted and titled as The Challenge: Invasion) is the 29th season of the MTV reality game show, The Challenge. The new individual format was filmed in Krabi, Thailand during October and November 2016, and features alumni from Real World, Road Rules, Spring Break Challenge, Fresh Meat II, and Are You the One? competing.

The season premiered on February 7, 2017.

Cast

Male contestants Original season Finish Chris "CT" Tamburello RW: Paris Cory Wharton RW: Ex-Plosion Dario Medrano AYTO? 2 Darrell Taylor RR: Campus Crawl Hunter Barfield AYTO? 3 Johnny "Bananas" Devenanzio RW: Key West Nelson Thomas AYTO? 3 Shane Landrum RR: Campus Crawl Zach Nichols RW: San Diego (2011) Episode 7 Tony Raines RW: Skeletons Episode 6 Anthony Bartolotte AYTO? 2 Episode 4 Theo King-Bradley RW: Seattle - Bad Blood Episode 3 Bruno Bettencourt RW: Skeletons Episode 2

Female contestants Original season Finish Amanda Garcia AYTO? 3 Ashley Mitchell RW: Ex-Plosion Camila Nakagawa Spring Break Challenge Cara Maria Sorbello Fresh Meat II Jenna Compono RW: Ex-Plosion Laurel Stucky Fresh Meat II Nicole Zanatta RW: Skeletons Sylvia Elsrode RW: Skeletons Ashley Kelsey RW: San Diego (2011) Episode 7 Kailah Casillas RW: Go Big or Go Home Episode 6 LaToya Jackson RW: St. Thomas Episode 4 Anika Rashaun RW: Seattle - Bad Blood Episode 3 Marie Roda RW: St. Thomas Episode 2

Champion of

Note: The Champions — Ashley K., Camila, Cara Maria, CT, Darrell, Johnny, Laurel, and Zach — entered the game later than everyone else as a season twist.

Format

The game started off with 18 Underdogs (players who have yet to win a challenge) who get dropped off a boat and onto a beach, where they were living in "The Shelter." They compete individually in challenges, followed by an elimination round.The male and female winners of the challenge would be safe from elimination, and earn their ticket to "The Oasis" — the season house. The last-place finishers of each gender automatically went straight into elimination for the first challenge.

In the second challenge, the challenge winners will choose a player of the opposite gender to go into the elimination. The remainder of the cast then voted in who goes against them for the first and second challenge. The males voted for the females, and vice versa.

In the third challenge, and the last chance to earn a ticket to the Oasis, the winners will be safe from elimination, and the two remaining players of each gender will automatically compete against each other. In the elimination, each gender will compete. The winners of the elimination round would return to the game, and earn a ticket to The Oasis. The losers of the elimination round go home. Players could not go into The Oasis until every ticket had been earned. Players who earned their ticket to the Oasis will be exempt from elimination and will not compete in challenges until the Champions enter the gnome.

In Episode 5, eight of the toughest champions (four male, four female) will enter the game, which will become a team competition - Underdogs vs. Champions. Each challenge will be designated as either an Underdog or a Champion elimination known as "The Fortress". The winning team will earn $10,000 in their team bank account. The best performing male and female of the team designated for the challenge will then choose one player of each gender to go into the elimination. The remainder of the cast will then vote in the players who will go against the nominated players in The Fortress. The winners return to the game, and the losers are eliminated.

Gameplay

Challenge games

• The Over Under: Players will start by grabbing a bucket and filling it with mud. They will have to use the mud to try and get over a huge wall that is made up of bamboo poles. After they get over the first wall, they will go to a second wall and dig their way under the wall. After they get under the second wall, the will go to a tied idol and try and get the idol out from a tricky rope maze.
  • Winners: Dario & Nicole
• Shell Shocked: Players are paired up into male and female teams. Each team must row an unstable boat to four checkpoints. At each checkpoint, they will retrieve a bag of coconuts. Once all of the bags are collected, they will return to the starting line where they will shoot the coconuts into a basket. The basket is connected to a pole with a weight behind it. The more coconuts you shoot into the basket, the higher the weight will go. The first team to lift the weight will win.
  • Winners: Hunter & Ashley M.
• Caged and Confused: Players will be trapped inside a cage hanging on a rope. They will pull a rope that will make them spin down to the ground. Each player then must roll to the finish line while still inside their cage. When they reach the finish line, they will put a rope towards them. At the end of the rope is a coconut, with a key attached. They will use the key to unlock the cage and get out. The player that gets out of the cage first will win. The two remaining players will automatically go to the elimination.
  • Winners: Shane & Amanda
• Knockout: A ball will be catapulted to the teams. Each player will battle to get the ball into their goal. The game will be played in a women's and men's heat. The team that scores three points scored in both heats wins.
  • Individual Winners: Ashley M. & Dario (Note: Ashley M. & Dario's wins did not garuntee them safety from the Fortress)
  • Team Winners: Underdogs
• Roll With The Punches:
  • Individual Winners: Bananas & Laurel (Note: Bananas & Laurel's win granted them safety from the Fortress)
  • Team Winners: Champions

Elimination games

• In The Trenches: Similar to "Hall Pass" from Battle of the Exes, players start at opposite end of the trench, they have to transfer ten sandbags from one side to the other side.
  • Played By: Kailah vs. Marie and Tony vs. Bruno
• Who's Got Balls?: Players will hike up to a cliff side where they will jump off a platform while holding on to five balls. The player that holds on to the most balls win. If both opponents hold on to all of the balls, the winner will be determined by the time it took them to jump off.
  • Played By: Jenna vs. Anika and Cory vs. Theo
• Thai Rise: Players will race up to the top of the Tiger Cave Temple, and retrieve a bag of rice that has a bell in it. Once they get the bag the players will race back down, and hang their bell. The player to do this task the fastest wins.
  • Played By: Sylvia vs. LaToya and Nelson vs. Anthony
• Tuk Tuk Bang Bang: Players stand on the back of their "tuk tuk," and have to run into a wall in order to move the tuk tuk further and further. Players will repeat this process until they reach the end of the driveway, knocking over the wall in the end. The first player to do so wins.
  • Played By: Sylvia vs. Kailah and Shane vs. Tony
• Pole Wrestle: Similar to the original "Pole Wrestle" The Duel, players are placed at the center of a circle and are asked to place both hands on a wooden pole. The first contestant to wrestle the pole out of his or her opponent's hands twice, wins.
  • Played By: Cara Maria vs. Ashley K. and Darrell vs. Zach

Game summary

Elimination chart

Episode		—	Winners		Elimination contestants				Elimination game	Elimination outcome
#	Challenge				Last-place		Voted In			Winner		Loser
1/2	The Over Under			Nicole		Marie		Kailah	In The Trenches		Kailah		Marie
				Dario		Bruno		Tony			Tony		Bruno
	Challenge		Winners		Winner's pick		Voted In		Elimination game	Winner		Loser
3	Shell Shocked			Ashley M.		Theo		Cory	Who's Got Balls?		Cory		Theo
				Hunter		Jenna		Anika			Jenna		Anika
	Challenge		Winners		Last-place				Elimination game	Winner		Loser
4	Caged and Confused			Amanda		LaToya		Sylvia	Thai Rise		Sylvia		LaToya
				Shane		Anthony		Nelson			Nelson		Anthony
	Challenge	Fortress Team	Winners		Player's Pick		Voted In		Fortress Game	Winner		Loser
5/6	Knockout	Underdogs		Underdogs		Sylvia		Kailah	Tuk Tuk Bang Bang		Sylvia		Kailah
						Tony		Shane			Shane		Tony
7	Roll With The Punches	Champions		Champions		Cara Maria		Ashley K.	Pole Wrestle		Cara Maria		Ashley K.
						Zach		Darrell			Darrell		Zach
8		Underdogs

Episode progress

Males Episodes 1/2 3 4 5/6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Finale Bananas — SAFE SAFE Cory SAFE ELIM SAFE SAFE SAFE CT — SAFE SAFE Dario WIN SAFE SAFE SAFE SAFE Darrell — SAFE ELIM Hunter SAFE WIN SAFE SAFE SAFE Nelson SAFE SAFE ELIM SAFE SAFE Shane SAFE SAFE WIN ELIM SAFE Zach — SAFE OUT Tony ELIM SAFE SAFE OUT Anthony SAFE SAFE OUT Theo SAFE QUIT Bruno OUT

Females Episodes 1/2 3 4 5/6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Finale Amanda SAFE SAFE WIN SAFE SAFE Ashley M. SAFE WIN SAFE SAFE SAFE Camila — SAFE SAFE Cara Maria — SAFE ELIM Jenna SAFE ELIM SAFE SAFE SAFE Laurel — SAFE SAFE Nicole WIN SAFE SAFE SAFE SAFE Sylvia SAFE SAFE ELIM ELIM SAFE Ashley K. — SAFE OUT Kailah ELIM SAFE SAFE OUT LaToya SAFE SAFE OUT Anika SAFE OUT Marie OUT

Competition

  The contestant won the final challenge.

  The contestant did not win the final challenge.

  The contestant won safety from the elimination round.

  The contestant was exempt from participating in the elimination round.

  The contestant was not selected for the elimination round.

  The contestant won in the elimination round.

  The contestant won the elimination round by default.

  The contestant lost in the elimination round and was eliminated.

  The contestant withdrew from the elimination round.

Notes

• In Episodes 3 and 4, a contestant is exempt from both challenge participation and elimination after earning a ticket into the Oasis — the result of either winning a challenge or in the Temple.
• The Underdogs participate in individual challenges from Episodes 1–4. When the Champions enter the competition in Episode 5, all contestants will be separated into two teams — Champions and Underdogs.
• The first three elimination rounds were not given a name. Beginning with the fourth challenge, the elimination round is known as "The Fortress."

Bank Accounts

Updated after Episode 7.

Champions $10,000

Underdogs $10,000

Voting Progress

Voted into Elimination		Tony 5 of 8 votes	Theo 1 of 1 vote	Cory 7 of 7 votes	No vote	Tony 1 of 1 vote	Shane 3 of 5 votes	Zach 1 of 1 vote	Darrell 2 of 3 votes	TBD TBD of TBD votes	TBD TBD of TBD votes	TBD TBD of TBD votes	TBD TBD of TBD votes
		Kailah 7 of 8 votes	Jenna 1 of 1 vote	Anika 7 of 7 votes		Sylvia 1 of 1 vote	Kailah 3 of 5 votes	Cara Maria 1 of 1 vote	Ashley K. 2 of 3 votes	TBD TBD of TBD votes	TBD TBD of TBD votes	TBD TBD of TBD votes	TBD TBD of TBD votes
Voter		Episode
		1/2	3		4	5/6		7		8		9
	Amanda	Tony		Cory			Cory
	Ashley M.	Tony	Theo			Tony
Bananas		—						Cara Maria
Camila		—							CT
Cara Maria		—							Darrell
CT		—							Camila
	Cory	Kailah		Anika			Ashley M.
	Dario	Kailah		Anika		Sylvia
Darrell		—							Ashley K.
	Hunter	Kailah	Jenna				Kailah
	Jenna	Theo		Cory			Shane
Laurel		—						Zach
	Nelson	Kailah		Anika			Kailah
	Nicole	Theo		Cory			Shane
	Shane	Kailah		Anika			Kailah
	Sylvia	Tony		Cory			Cory
Ashley K.		—							Darrell
Zach		—							Ashley K.
	Tony	Sylvia		Anika			Ashley M.
	Kailah	Theo		Cory			Shane
Anthony		Kailah		Anika
LaToya		Tony		Cory
Anika		Tony		Cory
Theo		Kailah		Anika
Bruno
Marie

Teams

Shell Shocked (Ep. 3) Shell Shocked Nelson & Amanda Theo & Anika Hunter & Ashley M. Cory & Jenna Shane & LaToya Anthony & Sylvia

Roll With The Punches (Ep. 7) Roll With The Punches Nelson & Amanda Bananas & Laurel Shane & Sylvia CT & Cara Maria Hunter & Ashley M. Darrell & Ashley K. Dario & Nicole Zach & Camila Cory & Jenna Bananas & Laurel

Note: In Episode 7's challenge, due to the fact that the champions team had 2 less players, 2 champions (Bananas and Laurel) had to go against Cory and Jenna (the final underdogs pair).

Episodes

No. in season	No. in series	Show Title	Original air date	U.S. TV first-run viewers (million)
1	357	"Gimmie Shelter"	February 7, 2017 (2017-02-07)	0.69
18 eager Underdogs are brought to Thailand, where they learn that they will be living in the Shelter. However, they learn that their living place is only temporary as they can earn their way into the Oasis. Lines are draw in the house during the first challenge. Bruno becomes very frustrated and finishes last in the challenge, and Marie also finishes last, sending both of them into the first elimination. Nelson then confronts Tony when Tony doesn't try to help his friend Bruno. Nicole and Dario earn the first two tickets in the Oasis, and the players learn that no one can go into the Oasis until everyone earns their spot.
2	358	"Skeletal Fracture"	February 7, 2017 (2017-02-07)	0.65
Tony, Kailah and Jenna quickly become the outcasts when they refuse to form alliances with the other side to advance in the game. After the dispute, Kailah finds comfort in Cory, and they start to grow closer. Nicole and Tony try to convince Sylvia to vote with them, but she is faced with the ultimate decision when Nelson tells Sylvia that she'll have a target on her back if she doesn't vote for Tony. Sylvia betrays her Real World: Skeletons roommates during the deliberations, and Kailah becomes the bandwagon vote for elimination. Kailah and Tony gain their tickets into the Oasis after defeating Bruno and Marie.
3	359	"Helter Shelter"	February 14, 2017 (2017-02-14)	0.65
Hunter and Ashley M. start to couple up. During the "Shell Shocked" challenge, the guys and the girls pair up, and lovebirds Hunter and Ashley win. In a desperate attempt to get to the Oasis, Cory campaigns the rest of the house to throw him in the elimination. Jenna knows that she will inevitably be sent in, and Anika volunteers to go against her. During deliberations, Hunter sends in Jenna and Ashley sends in Theo. Cory and Anika are thrown in to face them. In one of the scariest eliminations in Challenge history, Theo cracks and quits and Jenna wins against Anika.
4	360	"Four Tickets To Paradise"	February 21, 2017 (2017-02-21)	0.76
It's the last chance to earn a ticket to the Oasis, and paranoia gets to the remaining contestants. Nelson and LaToya begin hooking up as both of them are in danger of going home. During the "Caged and Confused" challenge, Shane and Amanda win not only a spot in the Oasis, but also a year supply of Burger King food. Anthony, Nelson, LaToya, and Sylvia head into the last elimination to earn a spot in the Oasis. Sylvia and Nelson win the "Thai Rise" elimination, and become the final Underdogs to go into the Oasis. The Underdogs finally move into the Oasis, and enjoy their time there. Before the next challenge, the Underdogs learn that they will have to compete against eight of the toughest Champions if they want to become the next batch of winners of The Challenge.
5	361	"Underdog Eat Underdog World"	February 28, 2017 (2017-02-28)	0.78
The Underdogs form a team against the Champions, as the game follows a new format. During the "Knockout" challenge, the Underdogs pull an unexpected win, but things go to haywire when they have to prepare for an Underdog elimination. Dario and Ashley M. decide the first players into the elimination; Tony and Sylvia. The divide continues in Team Underdogs as some want to make the best choice for the team and others want to ensure their safety. Nicole develops a crush on Cara Maria, and Ashley K. & Dario begin flirting with each other. Kailah gets super drunk and wets her bed, which causes Cory to be turned off.
6	362	"The Mile-High Club"	March 7, 2017 (2017-03-07)	0.80
Jenna's feelings for Zach begin to resurface as they continue to spend time together. Nelson begins to make moves on Sylvia, but she turns him down causing Nelson to lash out. Cory and Kailah make up after the bed situation. During deliberations, Kailah once again becomes a target and Shane is thrown in against Tony. Shane proves his fearlessness as he calls out Tony for calling him weak. The cast ventures into the Fortress, where the remainder of the eliminations will take place. During the "Tuk Tuk Bang Bang" elimination, strategy proves to outweigh strength as Shane and Sylvia earn another week in the game. A scandalous rumor involving Jenna spreads in the Oasis, and Jenna fears that it will cause a rift in her relationship with Zach if he finds out.
7	363	"Achy Breaky Heart"	March 14, 2017 (2017-03-14)	N/A
8	364	"A Low Down Dirty Shane"	March 21, 2017 (2017-03-21)	N/A

External links

• Official website