The fifth season (also known as The Traitors: New Blood) of the American television series The Traitors was announced on June 18, 2026. The season premiered on September 17, 2026 on NBC with episodes releasing the next day on Peacock.
Format
The show retains the same format and missions as the The Traitors UK and its US Celebrity counterpart. The contestants, all ordinary people from all across the US, are invited to the same castle in the Scottish Highlands to play this all-civilian version of the game. They are split into two particular Groups: the "Faithful," who are tasked with playing the game and trying to avoid banishment and/or murder to make it to the end of the game and win the final prize pot, and the "Traitors," a group of contestants secretly selected by host Alan Cumming who will work with the Faithful to build up the pot but are secretly working to earn the prize themselves. Most nights, the Traitors decide who to eliminate from the game via a "murder" while working to remain undetected and avoid suspicion from the other players. Each day the contestants participate in various missions to add money to the prize fund which can reach a maximum of $250,000.
In this version there is an additional incentive: for every Traitor that is successfully banished from the game, the team will add an additional $15,000 to the prize fund. At the end of each day, the players participate in the Round Table, where they must decide who to banish from the game in the hope of identifying the Traitors.
If all remaining players are Faithful, the prize money is divided evenly among them. However, if even one Traitor remains, they win the entire pot.
Contestants
Unlike the previous seasons, this seasons cast was composed entirely of civilian (not celebrity) participants. Entertainment Weekly announced the 22 cast members via social media on August 12, 2026.
In the first episode, Cumming revealed that two contestants would be recruited as "Accomplices", They would have to complete a series of tasks before the original Traitors would make a final decision on who would join them in the turret.
Key
The contestant was a Faithful
The contestant was a Traitor
The contestant was an Accomplice
The contestant was ineligible to vote
Production
Similar to the previous seasons, this season was primary filmed in Ardross Castle in the Scottish Highlands.