'Wheel of Fortune' Fans Won't Stop Going Off About the Show's Startling New Changes

Wheel of Fortune is officially back, albeit with a slightly different feel.

On September 12, the longtime ABC game show premiered new episodes of its 40th season and it turns out, there was a small makeover while it was off the air. In a video posted to Wheel of Fortune's official Instagram, host Pat Sajak, Vanna White, social correspondent Maggie Sajak and announcer Jim Thornton got together to announce their return to TV after a small hiatus. But the quartet also alluded that viewers should expect a few changes in the process.

"Places, everyone! Wait, something seems different… 👀," the show's Instagram captioned the clip.

So, what are the big changes the show hinted at? It's actually referring to a visual element fans have been familiar with for four decades. According to an official press release, the famous puzzle board got an upgrade for the first time since 2003.

Vanna will now be working with an LED screen board with two sensors to help flip the letters when activated. The new technology, which the show says is used for self-driving cars and the Mars Rover, will now allow Vanna to just touch the center of the boxes in order for a letter to revealed in the puzzle.

When fans learned of the slight makeover Wheel of Fortune made this season, there were mixed reactions about it. On one hand, some folks shared their admiration for the new look. "Beautiful. I noticed it's different!" one fan excitedly commented on Instagram. "Bigger board bigger puzzle 😂❤️❤️ you got this Vanna," another follower wrote. "The new puzzle board is as beautiful as you ladies!! ❤️❤️," one more responded.

That said, others weren't thrilled by one major element of the puzzle board. "Do not like the new letter board shade of green. Must be digital but it’s annoying shade," one person pointed out. "Hate the greenish puzzle board. This green hurts my eyes," a different viewer shared. "Don't like color of letter board. That light green background makes it harder to see the letters. Go back to previous one," another watcher chimed in.

But that's not all Wheel of Fortune has in store this season. Apart from the first handful of episodes being called "XL Week" (with XL representing the number 40 in Roman numerals), contestants now have a chance to double their chances of winning $1 million with two wedges on the famous wheel instead of one. There's also an opportunity to make the win into $2 million in the Bonus Round with two envelopes as well. The minimum amount contestants can win will also be elevated to $40,000 to honor the years the game show has been airing.

Now, that's what you call a celebration!

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