Like a certain arcade game foretold, if you whack a mole, another’s bound to pop up soon after. Yes, watch your back, because The Mole Season 2 is coming.  

The high-stakes competition series is back for another round with brand-new players to scrutinize and surveil. Each week, the contestants will work together on a series of missions testing their skills and endurance — be it breaking out of a locked prison cell or searching for sunken treasure — to add money to a collective prize pot. 

But within the cast lies a saboteur, aka the Mole, who’s secretly been tasked by the show’s producers to undermine the players’ efforts and keep the earnings as low as possible, all while staying under the radar and above suspicion. 

Ready for some next-level deception? Read on for everything you need to know about The Mole Season 2.

What is The Mole Season 2 release date? 

Starting on June 28, new episodes of the series will drop each Friday up until the finale.

• Batch 1: June 28 (Episodes 1–5)
• Batch 2: July 5 (Episodes 6–8)
• Batch 3: July 12 (Episodes 9–10)

Who is the host for The Mole Season 2? 

Award-winning journalist and host of NPR’s All Things Considered Ari Shapiro will take over hosting duties for Season 2. Since joining NPR in 2001, Shapiro has covered a wide range of topics at home and abroad. Early in his journalism career, he served as the media organization’s justice correspondent during the George W. Bush administration. Shapiro then covered President Barack Obama’s first and second terms as the White House correspondent, in addition to a stint as a London-based international correspondent. In 2015, Shapiro joined All Things Considered as one of a rotating group of anchors and has since become the host of NPR’s daily afternoon news podcast Consider This.

Over the course of his career, Shapiro has been honored with a slew of awards, including three national Edward R. Murrow awards, and was named Journalist of the Year in 2023 by the NLGJA. That same year, Shapiro published his New York Times bestselling debut memoir The Best Strangers In the World, chronicling his adventures as a journalist around the globe. Outside of his reporting work, Shapiro spends his time performing as a singer, having appeared alongside Alan Cumming and the band Pink Martini. 

Who is in the Mole Season 2 Cast?

Get to know the 12 people looking to add money to the pot — and the liar among them trying to ruin their plans — in our official cast guide here. The competitors share fun facts, their jobs, and even try to prove why they aren’t the Mole.

Can you remind me what happened in Season 1?

The reimagined version of the early aughts broadcast hit returned in 2022 after a 14-year hiatus. So, what went down? A dozen strangers from all walks of life competed to earn money in a jackpot that only one of them took home. And, of course, within their midst was a traitor, thwarting the group every step of the way. To catch up on the all the treachery, read our interview with the Season 1 winner and then a debrief with the Mole to learn how they stayed one step ahead of the competition.