The Challenge: All Stars season 5 brings back Rivals theme as MTV revival begins

Following the massive success of The Challenge’s 40th season, MTV is bringing back one of the franchise’s most beloved themes for *The Challenge: All Stars*. Season 5 is set to premiere on Wednesday, Jan. 29, and will return to its original network, MTV, after previously streaming on Paramount+.  

“It was a long, long, long walk down memory lane and then talking to everybody to see what’s been happening since other seasons,” showrunner Emer Harkin tells *Variety* of Season 5, which features 13 teams of two. “It was really about authentic rivalries and a real and meaningful entry point. It’s such a fan favorite season so we just want to do it justice.”  

The “Rivals” theme first appeared in 2011, followed by *Rivals II* in 2013 and a third installment in 2016. This time, some contestants are paired with new adversaries—such as Steve Meinke and Adam Larson, who had a falling out on *All Stars* Season 4—while others are teamed up with longtime foes, including Veronica Portillo and Katie Doyle, who clashed on *The Inferno* in 2004. Additionally, exes Ashley Kelsey and Dario Medrano, who once had a romantic relationship but haven’t spoken in years, are forced to compete together.  

The season kicks off with its first challenge, titled "Frenemies," where the pairs must complete a three-checkpoint rally. The tasks include filling a canister with mud using only their bodies, transporting ice cubes to a water-filled tube with unstable tongs, and balancing four balls on a gurney while carrying sandbags.