There's More Than Just Potential Romance on the Line for 'Love Island Games' Contestants
Memorable contestants from international versions of 'Love Island' come together for the spinoff.
Updated Sept. 10 2025, 1:28 p.m. ET
What's one way to make Love Island even more dramatic for its contestants? To create an all-star season, of course. And that's exactly what Love Island Games is, but there are still questions about how the spinoff works and how it differs from the original series. Because it's not just another show about influencers falling for other social media stars.
Love Island focuses on a group of single Islanders who pair up to avoid elimination and try to find real love in the process. And sometimes, romance does indeed blossom. But Love Island Games takes that to another level with eliminations, competitions, and lots of money on the line.
How does ‘Love Island Games’ work?
Love Island Games isn't totally unlike the original series. We still have singles who are here to make connections, hookup, and couple up. But the couples can change from week to week and in this case, the contestants are all familiar faces from past seasons of the show, both in the U.S. and abroad. And to make things even wilder, they have to deal with competitions that test them as individuals and as couples.
There are also eliminations, as to be expected. According to The Hollywood Reporter, fans can also vote for their favorite couples to determine who stays and who gets dumped from the villa. And at the end of the season, we’ll have a pair of winners walk home with a hefty cash prize. So the biggest difference between Love Island and Love Island Games is, well, the games.
Who is the narrator on ‘Love Island Games’?
He may not be nearly as important as the Love Island Games contestants, but the narrator, Iain Stirling, is still a big part of the reality show. His voice is heard throughout the series. And just in case you don't recognize the name, you may already know Iain from his standup, his role in the original Love Island, or from his Twitch stream channel.
The ‘Love Island Games’ prize makes it all worth it for contestants.
While one benefit to being on a show like Love Island Games is that the players get to make love connections, the other upside is the grand prize at the end of it all. For Love Island, that prize is $100,000, which the winning couple splits. And Love Island Games features the same grand prize that makes all of the drama and tears worth it.
Who is the ‘Love Island Games’ host?
The different iterations of Love Island across the globe have had different hosts. For Love Island Games, Love Island USA host Ariana Madix will be leading the charge, replacing Season 1 host, British DJ and personality Maya Jama. According to her Instagram feed, Ariana, who gained fame from her tenure on Bravo's Vanderpump Rules, confirmed she would return to Peacock to host the spinoff.
"See you in August for the #LoveIslandUSA Season 7 Reunion AND later this year for Love Island Games," she confirmed in a July 2025 Instagram reel.
Ariana, who has now become a Love Island staple, will be joined by Iain and Love Island USA: Aftersun's Maura Higgins. According to NBC News, Maura will once again take on the role of the franchise's social media host.
Watch Love Island Games on Peacock. Season 2 airs on Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025, followed by new episodes streaming on Thursdays-Tuesdays at 9 p.m. EST.