In 1998, MTV combined five fan-favorite cast members from previous seasons of The Real World to produce Road Rules: All Stars. Instead of watching a bunch of unknowns, viewers rooted for contestants they'd already invested in emotionally. This is now considered the first season of MTV's immensely popular reality game show The Challenge, but unlike its eventual successor, All Stars featured a non-competitive format where contestants lived together in a Winnebago, didn't face elimination, and worked together to complete assignments like sheep shearing and working at Hot Dog on a Stick.
A year later, MTV released Real World/Road Rules Challenge, in which six former Real World cast members competed against six Road Rules veterans. Producers continued tweaking the format until it barely resembled Road Rules: All Stars. By 2008, Road Rules had already experienced its success, tragedy, and hiatus. The Challenge, then in its 15th season, had continued gaining popularity. MTV didn't feel like it had enough room in its schedule for two similar reality game shows, and the older one got the axe.
