How does Netflix’s The Circle season 7 work? Format, rules, and more explored

The Circle season 7 will premiere on Netflix on September 11, 2024, with Michelle Buteau returning as host. A trailer released on August 14 teases the "most brutal season" yet, promising new surprises and a twist even bigger than the AI one from season 6.

Season 7 will follow the core The Circle format besides any new additions. Contestants will be isolated into different apartments in the same building and they can use a voice-activated platform called "The Circle" to put up their profiles and talk to other contestants.

Once in the apartment, they won't be allowed to meet each other or anyone outside the show. They can communicate with their fellow contestants via show's social media app and send texts and photos.

Contestants on The Circle can choose to be themselves or create a fake profile to gain an advantage. They can catfish each other, as seen in season 1 when a male contestant posed as a female, and a female contestant used photos of attractive women. No matter how they play, their goal is to become the top influencer, and the only person they can truly trust is themselves. Making friends helps, but trust only goes so far.

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The Circle season 7 format: Elimination and cash prize

As mentioned, The Circle contestants get to choose how they represent themselves through their profiles in front of other contestants. They would have to set up a profile that a great influencer would have. This is important because this will decide if they go ahead in the game or get eliminated.

At different stages in the game, contestants will be asked to rank their fellow competitors. The average ratings of each are revealed to everyone and the two who rank at the top will be called "Influencers".

Influencers will have the power to mutually decide who they want to eliminate from the rest of the contestants. The player the Influencers chose to eliminate will be "blocked" and have to leave their apartment and the game.

But it's not over for the eliminated contestants yet. They get the opportunity to visit any one of the contestants they want and have a chat with them. The next day a video of the eliminated person is shown to the rest cast members, letting them know if the contestant was authentically presenting themselves or were catfishing.

One final ranking takes place when there are only four or five players left in the game. The top contestant in this ranking wins the game and receives 100,000 dollars in prize money.

Viewers can also vote for their favorite player and this player will get a 10,000-dollar prize. While it hasn't been confirmed by Netflix yet, contestants might also be paid based on how long they last in the game.

Although The Circle is not a scripted show, the producers do tweak things during the production and the editing phase to amp up the stakes.

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Netflix’s The Circle season 7 episode schedule

The Circle season 7 will have 13 episodes with the first four episodes premiering on September 11, 2024, and the finale releasing on October 2, 2024. The episode schedule is as follows:

• Week 1 (Episodes 1-4): Sept. 11
• Week 2 (Episodes 5-8): Sept. 18
• Week 3 (Episodes 9-12): Sept. 25
• Week 4 (finale episode): Oct. 2

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Netflix will premier The Circle Season 7 on September 11, 2024.