The Mega Wall returns for the new season with one tiny tweak

UPDATE: Season 13 of American Ninja Warrior will use the Mega Wall’s original rules. You can read more here.

We are SO close to season 13 of American Ninja Warrior and we have even more details on the year’s competition format! When the Ninjas step up to the Qualifying courses in Tacoma, a familiar friend will be waiting for them.

The 18-foot Mega Wall will return for season 13, with a slight change to the rules.

The Mega Wall was first introduced back in season 10. The rules allowed one shot at the Mega Wall, followed by one shot at the 14.5 foot Warped Wall if the first proved unsuccessful. The prize was $10,000.

In season 11, the rules allowed for three attempts on the Mega Wall, with diminishing prize money ($10,000, $5,000, and $2,500). There was no chance to move to the Warped Wall.

Season 12 brought back the season 11 rules and that seems to be what the fans wanted. Our poll indicated that the viewers liked the one-shot format.

In season 13, the Mega Wall will be back on the Qualifying course. Like seasons 10 and 12, the Ninjas will only get one shot at the Mega Wall, for a prize of $10,000.

However, if they move over to the Warped Wall, they will now have two attempts to clear the obstacle.

This means that the Ninjas have three attempts to work with. One on the Mega Wall and two on the Warped Wall, or all three on the Warped Wall.

Something that has been well-demonstrated in previous seasons is the fact that attempting the Mega Wall adds to a competitor’s completion time. If a Ninja wants to be on the top of the leaderboard, they’ll need to make a decision. Of course, with no Power Tower during season 13’s Qualifiers, there’s slightly less incentive to make the top two. But if there’s a large number of clears, spending a few extra seconds on the Mega Wall could bump someone out of the Semifinals. We saw it happen to Nick Hanson in season 12.

In the three seasons that the Mega Wall has been in play, there have been 18 clears. Daniel Gil, Ryan Stratis, and Nick Hanson have each cleared the Mega Wall twice. Who’s going up the Mega Wall in season 13?

We’ll find out when American Ninja Warrior season 13 debuts on Monday, May 31 at 8pm EST/PST on NBC!