Fear Not, Challenge Fans — Final Reckoning Won't Be the End

Ever since MTV released the official trailer for The Challenge: Final Reckoning, we've had a lot of questions — especially since, as MTV warns, this season will be "the end of The Challenge as you know it." We know that Final Reckoning marks the conclusion of the series trilogy, which began with XXX: Dirty 30 and was followed by Vendettas. We know that this 32nd season will feature fan favorites from the past two seasons, such as six-time Challenge winner Johnny "Bananas" Devenanzio, recent Champs vs. Stars winner Chris "C.T." Tamburello, and Vendettas winner Cara Maria Sorbello. But here's what we still don't know: is Final Reckoning also The Challenge's final season?

We're not so sure you should be fooled by that word "final." As MTV announced, Final Reckoning is only "the third chapter to end the epic trilogy," not the last chapter to end the series. The show has featured several trilogies in its past (Real World vs. Road Rules, Inferno, The Gauntlet, and Rivals) as well as duologies (Battle of the Seasons, Battle of the Sexes, Fresh Meat, The Duel, and Battle of the Exes), so this is not uncommon. Though the trilogy doesn't have an official name, as past trilogies and duologies have, Final Reckoning players will face the consequences of their actions from the past two seasons in this final chapter. To us, this just means that this trilogy is concluding and the show's 33rd season will simply introduce a new theme.

Three back-to-back seasons of The Challenge have aired ever since the most recent season of The Real World, so the show doesn't show any signs of slowing down. As cocreator Jonathan Murray told Rolling Stone, the team is always working on new ideas for the next season. "There's probably four or five ideas that we would be considering the next one, and only one of them will be used," he said. "We might have an idea that doesn't make sense for [Season] 32, but it's perfect for 33." If that's not confirmation of a new season in the works, we're not sure what is!

The Challenge tends to average two seasons a year, so it's likely that another installment will arrive before 2018 is out, but we feel pretty confident that there are more installments to come. We know MTV likes to keeps its fans in suspense — Final Reckoning premieres in less than a month, and the cast was only recently revealed. Johnny Bananas is still without a partner, and Johnny's former friend, Tony Raines, who became his biggest foe during Vendettas and took home the Champs vs. Stars win with partner C.T., is notably missing. MTV, must you always leave us wanting more?

All we know is that we can't wait for Final Reckoning to finally premiere!