End Game

The end game of The Traitors has gone under many revisions since the premiere of De Verraders and usually the final is played one of three ways: a prisoner's dilemma (NL 1-2, AU 2), a split among the faction in the majority (NE 3, ES 1) or that the contestants banish until they unanimously decide to stop the game (UK, US).

Since around 2024 or 2025, when players are banished in the end game they may no longer reveal their alignment, forcing the rest of the players to rely solely on intuition.

Prisoner's dilemma[]

First version[]

This was the version of the final played under the original rules. Three players would always make the final, and their ranks would be revealed. If a Traitor made the final 3, they chose a Faithful to play the Prisoner's Dilemma with. The general rule of this is:

Players have two options, called "Share" or "Steal"
If both players choose to "Share", they split the prize equally
If one Shares and the other Steals, the Stealing player wins all of the money
If both players choose to Steal, neither wins anything

This was problematic as it threw up the possibility of a Faithful and a Traitor splitting the money, which eventually happened in the very first series.

Second version[]

After the first series' final proved controversial due to this, creator Marc Pos devised a slightly different version in which only the side in the majority would choose whether to Share or Steal. Due to the possibility of a three-player Prisoner's Dilemma, the rules were modified slightly also.

If three Faithfuls are left:

They decide whether to Share or Steal
If all three players decide to Share, they split the prize money between themselves
If one Steals and the others Share, the Sharing players split the money
If one Shares and the others Steal, the Stealing players split the money
If all three players decide to Steal, nobody wins anything

If two of one faction and one of the other are left:

Only the group in the majority play the end game
If the two players decide to Share, they split the money equally
If one Shares and the other Steals, the Stealing player receives all the money
If both decide to Steal, the opposing faction takes all the money

However, this attracted controversy as well - due to their limited numbers the Traitors are arguably at a disadvantage in this situation. For example:

In the penultimate episode, Traitors Bianca and Skone are the last ones standing.
Skone is voted out at the penultimate episode's Round Table, so Bianca is the last Traitor remaining.
A twist relating to the previous day's Mission forces the Traitors to murder two Faithfuls, so Bianca cannot attempt to recruit.
The Traitors are now in a 4 : 1 minority. Bianca manages to get the Faithful to vote one of their own out at the Round Table in the final episode, so they are now 3 : 1.
Knowing there is no way she can win the money, Bianca's only option is to offer herself up as a free vote.
Two of the remaining Faithfuls work out what's going on and intentionally banish the other Faithful to split the money two ways rather than three.

Franchise	Result	Series
First version
De Verraders	Traitor and Faithful share	1
Second version
Traitors España	Two Faithfuls share	1
De Verraders	Three Faithfuls share	2
The Traitors	Three Traitors steal - no money is won	2

Vote or End[]

This is the version of the end game which is now most common internationally. In this one, there is no necessity for a "final three", so any number can participate. All remaining players at the final decide when to stop the game, as now if there are any Traitors left after the final vote, they split the money, however if only Faithfuls remain at the final vote, they split the money.

At each vote, the players can vote to either end the game, or go to another Round Table. If anyone picks to vote again, all players must go to the Round Table.

This version was premiered in the UK version, and from their first series we get this Faithful victory:

Six players are left at the end of the previous episode; five Faithfuls (Aaron, Hannah, Kieran and Meryl) and one Traitor (Wilf).
Wilf recruits Kieran face-to-face. Kieran is told he either has to accept or be murdered. Faced with that, Kieran feels he has no choice but to accept.
The Faithfuls banish Kieran. Having only been recruited the previous night, he holds no loyalty to the Traitors, and subtly indicates that Wilf is a Traitor.
The Faithfuls don't pick up the hint at first, but after Wilf panics and drops a massive hint to Hannah, she and Aaron work it out.
At the first end game vote, Meryl and Wilf both vote to end the game, but Aaron and Hannah vote to banish again.
All three Faithfuls banish Wilf at the next Round Table.
All three players left vote to stop the game, and as there are no Traitors left the Faithful split the money three ways.

This can go the other way, such as in the following series:

Five players are left at the start of the episode; three Faithfuls (Mollie, Jaz and Evie) and two Traitors (Harry and Andrew).
Evie was banished at the Round Table.
All four remaining players voted to banish again.
Harry, Mollie and Jaz all voted to banish Andrew, while Andrew voted to banish Harry.
Another vote was held, and while Harry and Mollie voted to end the game Jaz voted to continue.
Harry and Jaz each voted to banish the other. Mollie initially wrote down Harry's name but changed her mind and instead voted to banish Jaz.
With only two players remaining the game automatically ended and Harry, as the sole remaining Traitor, won the entire £95.150 cashpot.

Another example is the Finnish version, where the Traitors won.

Five players are left at the start of the last episode. There are 3 Faithfuls (Elina, Jade and Tinze) and 2 Traitors (Heikki and Sita).
Tinze is banished at the Round Table.
Three players vote to continue and only Sita votes to end the game.
Elina is banished at the Round Table, and all three left vote to stop the game.
As there are Traitors remaining in the game, Heikki and Sita split the money.

During Series 2 of the British version, former contestants Ivan Brett and Rayan Rachedi noted that to win, the game relied on the Faithfuls voting out a Traitor in the final episode. Considering a Traitor can simply recruit a new one, Brett and Rachedi stated their belief that being able to recruit new Traitors towards the end of the game puts the Faithfuls at a significant disadvantage.

Franchise	Result	Series
The Traitors	Traitor win	1
De Verraders	Faithful win	1
De Verraders	Traitor win	2
Les Traîtres	Faithful win	1
Les Traîtres	Traitor win	2
The Traitors Canada	Traitor win	1
Forræder	Traitor win	1
Petolliset	Traitor win	1
Les Traîtres	Traitor win	1, 2
De Verraders	Faithful win	Halloween 1; 3
De Verraders	Traitor win	Halloween 2
Die Verräter	Traitor win	1
Forræder	Faithful win	3
Forræder	Traitor win	1, 2
Oi Prodotes	Traitor win	1
Az Árulók	Faithful win	1
The Traitors NZ	Faithful win	1
Os Traidores	Traitor win	1
Nasledniki i Samozvantsy	Traitor win	1
Förrädarna	Traitor win	1
The Traitors	Faithful win	1
The Traitors	Traitor win	2
The Traitors	Traitor win Faithful wins	1 2