An important elimination is about to begin on the set of The Challenge in Buenos Aires, and after almost 40 seasons that have aired on MTV and Paramount+, nothing looks out of the ordinary on this April day — at least, not at first. But something is very different about The Challenge: USA.

All the competitors are standing on the platform in the elimination arena. Some are wearing street clothes and appear relaxed because they know they're safe tonight, while others lined up in the trademark black Under Armour uniforms are visibly nervous about potentially having to compete. Host TJ Lavin announces the rules of the iconic fan-favorite elimination that's about to go down (as if the telltale single pole laying in the sand wasn't obvious enough). Everything looks standard for a season of The Challenge. However, instead of seeing familiar faces, like seven-time champ Johnny "Bananas" Devenanzio, recent back-to-back winner CT Tamburello, or veteran mainstays Nany Gonzalez and Aneesa Ferreira, for the first time ever in the history of the show, there isn't a single returning player from the franchise here. Every person on the cast is a Challenge rookie — but they're no ordinary rookies. All 28 competitors are reality TV legends from Survivor, Big Brother, The Amazing Race, and Love Island, including multiple winners from all four shows.