The Traitors: What You Need to Know About How the Game Works

Oh, delicious treachery. Season 3 of The Traitors is upon us, and with that comes an appetizing platter of manipulation, backstabbing, and conniving gameplay being served right at your (streaming) fingertips. And you certainly can’t forget Alan Cumming’s closet of devilishly stylish kilts. 

But wait, you’re about to press play on the first episode of The Traitors and you find yourself asking, “What are the game rules again?” Well, you’re in luck. Refresh your memory on how The Traitors works with our helpful guide. 

What Is The Traitors? 

Based on the Dutch format, The Traitors is the ultimate game of deception, where contestants – some of whom are picked to be a Traitor – work together on missions, all set against the idyllic backdrop of an extravagant castle located in the Scottish Highlands with the goal of winning the grand prize. 

How the Game Works

Before the game begins, a handful of contestants are secretly hand-picked to be Traitors by Cumming. None of the other players, collectively known as the Faithful, are aware who among them are Traitors – and that’s the fun of the ruse.  

The Traitors’ main goal is to eliminate the Faithfuls and steal the prize for themselves if any of them make it to the end, while the Faithful, if they can eliminate the Traitors, will share the pot. 

What makes The Traitors delightful to watch is the conflicting missions at hand: For the Faithful, it’s about who you can trust and align with. For the Traitors, it’s about who you can deceive.  

To decide which of the Faithful they want to "murder,” the Traitors meet in secret to determine their biggest threat. The other players don’t know who the Traitors have decided to axe until the next day when the “murdered” contestant doesn’t show up to the castle, which injects a devilish layer of tension and paranoia amongst the group. 

The contestants then take part in various missions and challenges, both testing their mental and physical fortitude, with the drive of adding more money into the final pot.  

It wouldn’t be The Traitors without a twist thrown in to make the game even more compelling. Partial immunity can be earned where a shield is secretly given to a lucky player, protecting them from being “murdered” by the Traitors. It doesn’t protect them from the possibility of leaving the game in the banishment vote, however.  

Players take part in the roundtable at the end of each gameplay day, where they have heated group discussions – or, in some cases, confrontations and arguments – about who they want to banish next. They may say one thing during the roundtable but do another when they eventually cast their vote privately.  

Whoever receives the most number of votes is banished, and it’s then that they disclose whether they’re a Traitor or a Faithful. If a Traitor is voted out, the other remaining Traitors have the chance to recruit a Faithful to turn to the dark side and join in on the traitorous fun.  

How Do You Win The Traitors?

Once the game winds down and only four are left in the game, they all take part in one last challenge, where they’re offered the opportunity to either end the game (“End Game”) or to hold a banishment vote (“Banish Again”). A unanimous “End Game” vote basically ends the game, but if there isn’t, another banishment vote is held where the players choose between “Banish Again” or “End Game.” 

When the game does conclude, if every player who made it the final vote is a Faithful, they get to share the money. But if any of the Traitors are left standing, they take everything. 

Don’t be surprised if there are, well, surprises along the way, like unexpected returns (Below Deck's Kate Chastain's reappearance in Season 2) and shocking gameplay sabotage. 

What Is the Prize? 

A cash prize of up to $250,000 is the motivating factor behind all the deception and lies. Depending on how the game shakes out, the final pot is either split between whoever’s left of the Faithful or scheming Traitors steal it all. 

Who's in The Traitors Season 3?

An interesting mix of reality TV personalities, from Big Brother plotters to entertaining Housewives to Survivor villains, and even a member of British royalty. (We’re actually serious about that last one.)  

The Season 3 cast includes Bob Harper (The Biggest Loser), Bob the Drag Queen (RuPaul’s Drag Race), Britney Haynes (Big Brother), Carolyn Wiger (Survivor), Chanel Ayan (The Real Housewives of Dubai), Chrishell Stause (Selling Sunset), Ciara Miller (Summer House), Danielle Reyes (Big Brother), Dolores Catania (The Real Housewives of New Jersey), Dorinda Medley (The Real Housewives of New York City), Dylan Efron (Down to Earth With Zac Efron), Gabby Windey (The Bachelorette), Jeremy Collins (Survivor), Lord Ivar Mountbatten (British royal), Nikki Garcia (WWE Hall of Famer), Rob Mariano (Survivor, Deal or No Deal Island), Robyn Dixon (The Real Housewives of Potomac), Sam Asghari (actor), Tom Sandoval (Vanderpump Rules), Tony Vlachos (Survivor), and Wells Adams (Bachelor in Paradise).

Season 3 of The Traitors streams Jan 9 on Peacock with the first three episodes, followed by weekly drops every Thursday. The first two Season 3 episodes will air Jan 20 at 8p ET/PT and 9:30p ET/PT on NBC. 

For now, catch up on the first two seasons of The Traitors, and go global with The Traitors: Australia and The Traitors: UK.