The fifth season of The Challenge: All Stars, also known as The Challenge All Stars: Rivals, premiered on MTV on January 29, 2025, following the prior four seasons airing exclusively on Paramount+. The season features twenty-six cast members from The Real World, Road Rules, Are You the One?, Big Brother, Ex on the Beach, Survivor, Shipwrecked, and 12 Dates of Christmas competing for a $300,000 prize.
Format The Challenge All Stars: Rivals features teams made up of partners who have previously had conflict or rivalries with each other. The season features a daily challenge, a nomination process and an elimination round. Daily Challenge: Teams compete in a challenge where the winners are immune and receive the power to nominate a team for the elimination round. Nominations: Excluding the winners, all teams vote to nominate a team to compete in the elimination round. Eliminations (The Jungle): At the Jungle, the winning team selects a team to compete in the elimination round against the team nominated by the house. The winners may also volunteer for the elimination round instead. The winners of the elimination remain in the competition while the defeated team is eliminated.
Twists Stars: To be eligible to compete in the Final Challenge, teams must possess a Star. The Stars were initially awarded to the top four teams of the "Frenemies" challenge. Throughout the season, teams without a Star can obtain one by winning an elimination round and stealing the Star from the team they defeated (if their opponent possessed a Star), or from a non-immune Star holder (if their opponent did not possess a Star). Star challenges: If two Star-holding teams compete against each other in the elimination, the next episode's challenge doubles as a "Star challenge" where the newly-eliminated team's Star is awarded to top performing team that does not currently possess a Star.
Contestants Male contestantsOriginal seasonFinishAdam LarsonRoad Rules: The QuestWinnerSteve MeinkeRoad Rules: The QuestWinnerShane LandrumRoad Rules: Campus CrawlRunner-upFrank FoxThe Real World: San Diego (2011)Third placeTurabi "Turbo" ÇamkıranSurvivor Turkey 8Episode 10Dario MedranoAre You the One? 2Episode 8Faysal ShafaatBig Brother 20Episode 7Corey Lay12 Dates of Christmas 1Episode 6Devin Walker-MolaghanAre You the One? 3Episode 5Leroy GarrettThe Real World: Las Vegas (2011)Episode 5Female contestantsOriginal seasonFinishDa'Vonne RogersBig Brother 17Runner-upSam McGinnThe Real World: San Diego (2011)Third placeMelissa ReevesEx on the Beach UK 2Fourth placeNicole ZanattaReal World: SkeletonsFourth placeNany GonzalezThe Real World: Las Vegas (2011)Episode 10Katie CooleyRoad Rules: The QuestEpisode 9Veronica PortilloRoad Rules: Semester at SeaEpisode 9Ashley KelseyThe Real World: San Diego (2011)Episode 8Amber BorzotraBig Brother 16Episode 7Tula "Big T" FazakerleyShipwrecked: Battle of the IslandsEpisode 6Aneesa FerreiraThe Real World: ChicagoEpisode 4Ashley MitchellReal World: Ex-PlosionEpisode 4KellyAnne JuddThe Real World: SydneyEpisode 3Sylvia ElsrodeReal World: SkeletonsEpisode 3Beth StolarczykThe Real World: Los AngelesEpisode 2Jonna MannionThe Real World: CancunEpisode 2
Teams Partner 1 Partner 2Adam LarsonSteve MeinkeAmber BorzotraFaysal ShafaatAneesa FerreiraAshley MitchellAshley KelseyDario MedranoBeth StolarczykJonna MannionTula "Big T" FazakerleyCorey LayDa'Vonne RogersShane LandrumDevin Walker-MolaghanLeroy GarrettFrank SweeneySam McGinnKatie CooleyVeronica PortilloKellyAnne JuddSylvia ElsrodeMelissa ReevesNicole ZanattaNany GonzalezTurabi "Turbo" Çamkıran
Pre-season rivalry backgrounds Male teams Adam & Steve: Adam voted for Steve to compete in the first elimination round of The Challenge: All Stars 4. Later in the season, Adam voted Steve in again, and after winning the "Shish Kestack" Arena that he faced because of this vote, Steve opted to steal Adam's Star as a result of this decision. Devin & Leroy: After Devin was voted into the elimination round on The Challenge: Double Agents, Leroy selected Devin's ally Wes Bergmann to be his opponent.
Female/male teams Amber & Faysal: Amber and Faysal first clashed in a shaky Big Brother alliance on The Challenge: Double Agents, which culminated in Faysal throwing himself into the season's final elimination round to avoid being partnered with Amber for the Final Challenge; Amber subsequently won the season with her new partner Chris "CT" Tamburello. Faysal then blindsided Amber to go into the elimination round on The Challenge: Spies, Lies & Allies. Ashley K. & Dario: The two are exes. They first met on The Challenge: Invasion of the Champions and later started dating. They have not spoken to one another in six years. Big T & Corey: The two had a falling out after Corey claimed he was using game information from Big T against her, and she became the main target on The Challenge: Battle for a New Champion. She felt their personal relationship was affected by this cold reveal and did not fully accept his apology at the reunion. Da'Vonne & Shane: Da'Vonne and Shane fought on The Challenge: Final Reckoning after Shane threw the "Don't Push Me Around" challenge, thus causing Da'Vonne and her partner Jozea Flores to be voted into the elimination round, which they ultimately lost. This was preceded by an earlier vote where Shane felt Da'Vonne went against her word and during an argument verbally accosted her. Frank & Sam: The two former The Real World: San Diego (2011) roommates competed together on The Challenge: Battle of the Seasons, where they ultimately won. Throughout the season, Frank did not consider Sam a worthy teammate and physically shoved her during the Final Challenge. Nany & Turbo: On The Challenge: War of the Worlds Turbo picked Nany to be his partner. On The Challenge: Ride or Dies, the two had a falling out and Johnny "Bananas" Devenanzio and Nany ultimately selected Turbo and his partner Tamara Alfaro for the elimination round.
Female teams Aneesa & Ashley M.: Aneesa talked poorly about Ashley at a Challenge-related fan event, and Ashley feels like Aneesa plays a game style that is unsuccessful. Beth & Jonna: Entering The Challenge: All Stars 3, Beth did not trust Jonna and implied she was cheating on her husband with MJ Garrett. Jonna was eventually voted in elimination and called out Beth as her opponent. However, Beth withdrew midway through the elimination since Jonna was receiving help from MJ. Katie & Veronica: The two were teammates on both Real World/Road Rules Challenge: The Gauntlet and Real World/Road Rules Challenge: The Inferno. On both seasons, Katie was perceived as the Road Rules team's weak link. After being selected for The Inferno twice by the opposing team, Veronica won the Aztec Life Saver and sent Katie in to replace her both times. Katie won both elimination rounds and ultimately was part of the winning team alongside Veronica. KellyAnne & Sylvia: On The Challenge: All Stars 3, Sylvia used her first sabotage on KellyAnne. Later in the season, KellyAnne selected Sylvia to go into the elimination which she ultimately lost. Melissa & Nicole: They hooked up on The Challenge: Vendettas. They remained friends until Melissa became friends with Nicole's ex, Laurel Stucky.
Gameplay Challenge games Frenemies: Teams race to complete three checkpoints before crossing the finish line. The first four teams to finish become the initial Star holders of the season. Checkpoint #1 (Mudbath): Teams must use their bodies to transfer mud from a pit to a bucket until they collect enough to reach a marked line. Checkpoint #2 (Ice Transfer): Teams must use long sticks to transfer ice cubes from a cooler into a cylinder of water until the ball inside rises to a marked line. Checkpoint #3 (Ball-ance Gurney): Teams must balance four balls on a gurney and carry it across the finish line, collecting three sandbags along the way. Winners: Adam & Steve, Ashley K. & Dario, Devin & Leroy and Nany & Turbo Edge of Glory: Teams must solve a math equation. Afterwards, one team member is harnessed on a ledge of the Bitexco Financial Tower, and leans over the edge to attempt to collect four hanging flags while their teammate secures them with a rope. Teams' harnesses are connected in a way that if one team member falls off the edge, their partner falls with them. Teams are disqualified from the challenge if a team member refuses to participate, or time-out after 10 minutes. The team that completes the challenge the fastest wins. Winners: Amber & Faysal Ball Buster: Teams must retrieve ten of their assigned balls from a pit and transfer them through an obstacle course. However, teams can only take as many balls as they can carry at once. After depositing all ten balls at the end of the course, teams must solve a puzzle. The first team to solve the puzzle wins. Winners: Devin & Leroy Push Over: Teams begin harnessed on a speeding truck. One team member swings their partner from the truck so they can collect rings placed on stands along the road, including three bonus rings. After teams collect a ring, the team member swinging their partner must cross a balance beam and deposit the ring on a pole before continuing. Teams are issued a penalty if they transfer more than one ring across the beam at once. The team that collects the most rings wins. In the event of a tie, the team that collects the most bonus rings wins. Winners: Amber & Faysal Sundae Funday: Each team begins with one vanilla milkshake and are asked six questions during the challenge. Each time both teammates fail to give the same answer, teams must add a condiment such as ketchup, vinegar or mayonnaise to their milkshake. Afterwards, the first team to fully drink their milkshake wins. Winners: Frank & Sam Playing Dirty: Played in three heats, teams must climb up a ladder and slide down a mud-covered ramp, continuing until all the mud is cleared to reveal a series of symbols. Once complete, teams swim to their station, match the symbols to their corresponding letters on a board and unscramble the letters to form a word. The team with the fastest overall time wins. Additionally, the team with the fastest time out of the non-Star holders receives a Star. Winners: Adam & Steve Blow Your Mind: Team members start on opposite sides of a field, each with three puzzle keys in front of them. To begin, team members attempt to memorize the information on their first puzzle key. To proceed to the next puzzle key, one team member must press a detonator, which burns both teammate's current puzzle keys, meaning they can no longer view them. This process continues until all the puzzle keys have been viewed and detonated. Afterwards, teams must use the information they memorized to solve a time-zone-based puzzle at the middle of the field. The team that solves the most parts of the puzzle correctly wins. Winners: Katie & Veronica Shooting for the Star: While harnessed near the edge of a cliff, teams must solve a puzzle before riding an ATV off the cliff and attempting to hit a star hanging 12 feet away. The team that manages to hit the star in the fastest time wins. Winners: Adam & Steve Bubble Bullseye: Played across five rounds. Each round, one team member sits on a tube which their partner slides onto a board to try and land in the 25-point zone at the center, with point values decreasing with each surrounding zone. Teams are penalized 10 points if the team member on the tube touches the ground, or are disqualified from the challenge if they tip over completely. The team that scores the fewest points each round, or stops the furthest away in the event of a tie, is eliminated from the challenge. The team that wins the final round wins. Additionally, the last team standing out of the non-Star holders receives a Star. Winners: Da'Vonne & Shane