Every New Threat Ranked By Their Likelihood of Returning

Vets & New Threats introduced us to 16 new faces, four new finalists, and one new champion, but which competitors are likely to see a second season?

It seems season 42 is expected to start filming in early 2026, and Challenge fans seemingly received the New Threats pretty well. So, I’d expect some to return, but some of these New Threats will likely be staying home.

To be clear, this is not who I want to see return. The list will assess who I think will be invited back to the show based on what I’ve observed from MTV in the past.

16. America Lopez

Nurys said it best: America’s most important story line was edited out of the show, which is a clear signal The Challenge isn’t interested. She kind of got a Victor edit — she was used to bring in Big Brother viewers, but she was too concerned with her Big Brother showmance to fully invest herself in The Challenge.

15. Leka Sodade

Leka was the only competitor to get their name in an episode title, but it was really because her story got intertwined with CT’s. We heard more people say “justice for Leka” than we heard Leka say anything, so I don’t know how production would keep her story going.

14. Jake Cornish

Jake is smart, supportive, and handsome, but we didn’t see a whole lot from him this season. He’s the type of person who checks all of the boxes, and he probably made a lot of friends while in Chile, but this wasn’t really shown in the final edit. On his final episode, Sydney asked, “What’s a Jake?” and production doesn’t seem like they’ll be answering.

13. Tay Wilcoxson

Production may have a soft spot for Tay because she had faith in CT, but that might just be her kind, non-confrontational nature. She did win two Arenas, and viewers seemed to appreciate her presence. While she’s the type of person you want to support, she probably isn’t going to offer a lot of juicy footage to fill 90-minute episodes.

12. Ben Davis

Coming into Vets & New Threats, Ben seemed like the most random rookie. Once the show started airing, he did bring a certain charm, and he was very active with the online Challenge fandom. He might be your favorite spoiler account’s favorite Challenge account, but his performance on Vets & New Threats might not be enough to get a call back.

11. Blue Kim

After her Big Brother season, Blue had decent buzz around her name. She was easy to fall in love with on the show because she was very peppy and unserious, but her performance in the competition wasn’t much to brag about. Production might have a soft spot for Blue, in the same way they saw potential in Big T, and her personality might be enough for her to get another Challenge call.

10. Gabe Wai

Gabe prides himself on being a bit of an outsider, but he established himself as an underdog when he defeated Bananas in the fourth elimination of the season. Despite this, it felt like he was always playing catch up, and he never had a fully dominating moment. His efforts to rise to the top especially fell flat when he failed to stake a claim on Nany and essentially cost Jonna her spot in the game.

9. Izzy Fairthorne

Izzy came into the season by making a huge impression. She was the first-place female on the Day Zero challenge, then she hooked up with Rogan. She did more in one episode (technically, episode 0) than some people did in a dozen. While she played a more low-key game later on, she showed she has potential, plus she now has a story line with Rogan, especially after they broke up.

8. Leo Dionicio

Aside from arguing with Derek over BOGO drinks, Leo wasn’t a huge presence early in the season. Then, he started winning daily challenges, and he shook up the game a little bit. He was willing to take shots at the veterans, and that made him a sneaky threat. Once he was paired with Ashley, he never replicated his Challenge-winning story, but his willingness to take risky moves could make him interesting on a future season.

7. Will Gagnon

Let’s be honest — after his hook up with Nany, their eventual blow up, and his love triangle with Dee and Bananas, Will should be a lock for another season. But something tells me he’s viewed as half entertainment, half liability. Hopefully the first half of that statement is true, because he could have a very messy, possibly successful, Challenge career down the line.

6. Cedric Hodges

Cedric came onto the season with a US Marine Corps background, so a certain producer will like him for that, but there’s no denying he preformed exceptionally well this season. He ran the final, and only placed third because of his partner, which seems like a fitting ending. It felt like Cedric’s whole story arc this season revolved around Michaela, but apparently he was very snaky, which has been referenced on many podcasts (especially Bananas’), and it would be great to see him compete and not hide behind Michaela.

5. Adrienne Naylor

Adrienne came onto the season as the original underdog. She was the first Hangnail, but she persevered and made it all the way to the final — plus, she won four eliminations. This allowed her to change her narrative, and she walked away from the season with many more supporters than doubters. This certainly earned her enough love to make a return, but if she doesn’t continue exceeding expectations, it feels she may not have anything else in her story line.

4. Justin Hinsley

Justin delivered a lot this season. He went from being the first person voted into the Arena, to slaying Rogan, to winning daily challenges. He then became a bit cocky, but he always seemed to have a finger on the pulse of the competition. But he really earned viewer support because he far exceeded most people’s expectations — to the point that we actually thought he might help Nany win. Of course, that didn’t happen, but the dream can continue if they’re both on the next season.

3. Yeremi Hykel

Having a Challenge champion title automatically gives you a place in Challenge history, and Yeremi seems eager to return. He’s the type of player who’s dangerous in the game, and his training means he’s always ready for a final. He also had some alliances this season and made the ballsy move of staking a claim on Olivia. Yeremi might not be the type of competitor who’s involved in a lot of drama, but he doesn’t have to be. He plays his own game because he’s confident in his abilities to perform when he has to.

2. Sydney Segal

If your first impression of Sydney was that she’s cocky, your second impression is probably that she has every right to be. Sydney played a game where she chose her own path, excelled in the competition, and stirred the pot a little bit. If you were rooting for her to fail, it was probably tough watching the first 18 episodes of the season. Then, at the last moment, she lost the final because Turbo couldn’t keep up with her, making her the type of competitor who demands a return.

1. Dee Valladares

If Sydney is the type of player who demands a return, Dee is the type of player who’s designed to come back. She’s a Survivor winner, giving her the same allure that Michele Fitzgerald had (and remember, Michele was the only Spies, Lies and Allies rookie to return on Ride or Dies). Dee also had a lot of drama this season, especially with Will. Bananas immediately took an interest in her, kind of like he did with Natalie on Vendettas, and Dee went out of the game because her partner lost in an elimination where she was excelling. At this point, it feels like Dee is the only thing that can stop Dee from returning.