‘Wheel of Fortune’ is making a major change for season 44. Here’s what viewers will notice immediately

One of America’s most recognizable game shows is coming back for its 44th season with an even quicker way to win a prize.

51-year-old Wheel of Fortune is introducing a new game at the beginning of each episode called “Fortune Frenzy,” allowing contestants to compete for $1,000 for each puzzle solved on screen within seconds. 

“This is exciting,” Wheel of Fortune host Ryan Seacrest said in a Sept. 8 episode of Good Morning America. “A lot of people say, ‘How do you get more games in his show? It’s not a long show.’ So we’re squeezing more gameplay at the top of the show with a rapid-fire game that we just started to have, which I love.”

The new opener is supposed to help shake off “the nerves of the contestants at the top,” Seacrest says, giving them a chance to win at the start of the show. By beginning the show with a rapid game, contestants may burn off the adrenaline and nerves before the actual game begins.

“Because they’re so excited. The adrenaline is pumping and rushing,” Seacrest added. “And they’ve got to focus right in on playing the game and I noticed that when we did some of the first episodes.”

Seacrest joined Vanna White as co-host of the show back in 2024, stepping in for his predecessor Pat Sajak. White has been part of the show since 1987 while Sajak, who hosted until 2024, joined a few years earlier in 1981. 

The new game’s announcement comes just days after Wheel of Fortune announcer Jim Thornton was fired from the show after more than a decade in the role. The firing stems from an investigation over an incident involving illegal conduct while aboard a commercial flight earlier this year.

The new season of Wheel of Fortune premieres on Monday, Sept. 14.