The Traitors: New Blood introduces a fresh set of players to the well-known Scottish castle, though with one key difference: the cast features no returning reality stars or celebrities. In its place, 22 ordinary Americans take part in a social-deduction game in which trust can matter just as much as strategy. Alan Cumming is back as host, leading the contestants through missions, secret murders, Round Table votes and the hunt for hidden Traitors. Among the civilian cast are professionals like an astrophysicist, nurse, lawyer, teacher, physician, writer and MLB analyst. The winner or winning group could claim a share of a prize fund reaching up to $250,000. The series debuts September 17, 2026, on NBC and is available to stream on Peacock.
Quick Verdict
The Traitors: New Blood is made for audiences who appreciate reality competitions centered on deception, alliances, and social strategy. Its most notable feature is the all-civilian cast, which eliminates the recognition that comes with established reality stars and shifts attention to contestants experiencing the Traitors format for the first time.
The Traitors: New Blood is the all-civilian version of the American reality competition franchise The Traitors. Hosted by Alan Cumming, the series brings 22 everyday Americans to Ardross Castle in the Scottish Highlands, replacing the celebrity and reality-TV personalities who have dominated the parent series. The contestants compete in missions to build a prize fund worth up to $250,000 while trying to determine which members of their group are secretly working as Traitors.
The Faithful contestants must identify and banish the hidden Traitors at the Round Table, while the Traitors secretly eliminate Faithful players and attempt to reach the finale with the prize money intact. The civilian cast includes people from a wide range of professions, including an astrophysicist, nurse, lawyer, physician, teacher, ironworker, funeral director, and MLB analyst.
The series premieres September 17, 2026, on NBC with a two-episode launch and continues with new episodes on Thursdays. Episodes are also available on Peacock after their NBC broadcast. The format retains the deception, alliances, missions, and banishments associated with The Traitors, but its civilian cast gives the competition a different starting point because the players enter without established reality-TV personas.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is The Traitors: New Blood a new season of The Traitors?
It is a civilian spin-off/edition of the American The Traitors franchise rather than a conventional celebrity-heavy season. The 22 contestants are ordinary Americans with no established reality-TV backgrounds.
When does The Traitors: New Blood premiere?
The series premieres Thursday, September 17, 2026, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on NBC, with its first two episodes launching together.
How much money can contestants win?
The prize fund can reach $250,000. If all the Traitors are eliminated, the remaining Faithful players can share the money; if a Traitor survives to the end, the Traitor can take the pot.
Who hosts The Traitors: New Blood?
Alan Cumming hosts the series and returns to the Scottish castle setting used by the franchise.
Story — Spoiler Free
Twenty-two Americans arrive at a Scottish castle, each hoping to claim a share of a prize that could reach $250,000. Hidden among them are secret Traitors, tasked with eliminating the Faithful without getting caught. The Faithful need to cooperate on missions, scrutinize suspicious behavior, and cast votes at the Round Table to banish those they suspect of being Traitors. In the meantime, the Traitors gather in secret to choose which Faithful player they will eliminate. The game carries on through missions, murders, banishments, and ever-changing alliances until the contestants who remain make it to the endgame.
Pros
The all-civilian cast gives the familiar Traitors format a fresh setup, while the castle location, hidden identities, missions and $250,000 prize preserve the show's core tension.
Cons
Viewers who prefer the established personalities and celebrity rivalries of previous American seasons may find the unfamiliar cast harder to connect with initially.
Who Should Watch
Reality Competition Fans
Mystery Fans
The Traitors Fans
Who Should Skip
Scripted Drama Fans
Celebrity-Reality Fans
Release Date
2026-09-17
Runtime
42 minutes per episode
Director
Ben Archard
Producer
Alan Cumming, Jack Burgess, Toni Ireland, Stephen Lambert, Sam Rees-Jones, Mike Cotton, Tim Harcourt
Cast
Alan Cumming, Tomica Adams, Shane Beatty, Abbey Benjamin, Morgan Cook, Kim Daily, Katie Fites, Michael Foote, Wyatt Gillespie
The Traitors: New Blood Season 1
4 episodes September 17, 2026Airing
Twenty-two civilian players arrive at a Scottish castle and take part in challenges to accumulate a cash prize, while the Faithful try to uncover the secret Traitors before the Traitors get rid of them and take the money.
1A New Dawn Is Rising
42 min September 17, 2026
Alan Cumming welcomes 22 everyday Americans to the castle, the Traitors are selected, and the competition begins.
2I'm a Sweaty Boy
42 min September 17, 2026
The first Faithful is murdered, suspicion spreads, the first Round Table takes place, and a secret mission unfolds.
3The Traitors Are Watching
42 min September 24, 2026
The Traitors face a difficult decision while a mission introduces dilemmas and information that could expose them.
4The Death Parade
September 24, 2026
Accusations intensify as one Traitor attempts to avoid attention while the players face a dangerous mission to grow the prize fund.
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