‘Wheel of Fortune’ Announces Season 44 Switch-Up in Game Format

Wheel of Fortune just announced a switch-up to its game format for Season 44 that will hopefully result in its contestants going home with even more money.

On Tuesday, Sept. 8, hosts Ryan Seacrest and Vanna White revealed the addition of a round called “Fortune Frenzy” to the popular game show during a segment that premiered on Good Morning America.

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“This is exciting. A lot of people say, ‘How do you get more games into this show?’” Seacrest, 51, explained, of Fortune Frenzy. “It’s not a long show, so we’re squeezing more gameplay into the show with a rapid-fire game that we just started to have, which I love, giving away $1,000 for every puzzle they solve.”

So, how does it work? At the beginning of each episode, contestants will have a chance to win $1 grand each time they can quickly — and correctly — solve a series of puzzles before a timer runs out. The sprint round aims to add even more puzzles solved per episode. Not to mention, contestants get even more chances to earn prize money.

In the category “Season Premiere,” one contestant correctly guessed, “It’s Great To Be Back!”

Seacrest continued, “I think it shakes off the nerves off the contestants at the top. Because they’re so excited. The adrenaline is pumping and rushing, and they’ve got to focus right into playing the game—and I noticed that when we did some of the first episodes.”

White, 69, added, “Yes, there’s nothing else to think about but ‘solve that puzzle.’ It’s gotta be quick. So they have nothing else on their mind but solving.”