If you just finished that brutal December cliffhanger, you're probably staring at a blank screen wondering if your DVR glitched. It didn't. Colter Shaw is currently MIA, and the internet is losing its mind asking: is tracker coming back soon? Honestly, the answer is a "yes, but" situation that’s making a lot of fans pretty cranky.
CBS basically dropped a bombshell right after the midseason finale. While most shows take a couple of weeks off for the holidays and pop back up in mid-January, Tracker is taking a massive, eleven-week nap. It’s a long time to wait when you’ve just watched your favorite reward seeker crawl out of a mangled car wreck.
Why the long wait for Colter Shaw?
So, why is the show ghosting us? It’s not because of low ratings. Far from it. Tracker is currently the heavyweight champion of network TV. The delay is actually a tactical move by CBS. They have the Golden Globes on January 11 and the Grammys on February 1. Throw in the Super Bowl and some high-profile playoff games, and the network decided it’s better to keep their prize horse in the stable rather than getting trampled by sports and awards shows.
March 1, 2026.
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Mark that date. That is when the show officially returns. But there is a catch. You’ve got to change your internal clock because the show is moving. It’s sliding out of its comfy 8 PM ET slot to make room for the Yellowstone spin-off, Y: Marshals. Now, Tracker starts at 9 PM ET. If you're a late sleeper, cool. If you have work on Monday morning, you might be leaning more on your streaming apps.
Is Tracker coming back with the same cast?
There’s been some drama behind the scenes that has fans worried. We already lost Teddi (Robin Weigert) at the start of season 2, and then Velma (Abby McEnany) and Bobby (Eric Graise) exited before season 3 even kicked off. It feels like the office is getting a bit empty.
But showrunner Elwood Reid is leaning into the family dynamic to fill the gaps. Jensen Ackles is definitely coming back as Russell Shaw. The chemistry between him and Justin Hartley is basically what’s carrying the show right now. They’re starting season 3, part 2 with a two-part premiere that focuses on Colter being a wanted man. He’s at the scene of the crime, he’s covered in blood, and the police aren't exactly asking for his autograph.
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We also know a new character is arriving in Episode 11. They haven't named them yet, but the rumor is they come in under the guise of giving Reenie more work. Given the show's track record, they'll probably end up being a secret assassin or a long-lost cousin with a grudge.
The "Other" Tracker: Gaming and Apps
Funny enough, if you search "is tracker coming back," you might not be looking for Justin Hartley at all. There’s a whole different group of people panicking about the Destiny Tracker and Call of Duty Tracker services.
If you're a gamer, you know the pain. Lately, Bungie and Activision have been tweaking their APIs—the digital "doorway" that lets third-party sites see your stats. This has caused Destiny Tracker to go dark or show "missing matches" for a lot of players in early 2026.
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- Call of Duty: Most of the old "lobby trackers" are dead. Developers shut them down because they didn't want people using stats to "dodge" sweaty lobbies or expose the matchmaking algorithms.
- Destiny 2: It’s still there, but it’s glitchy. It’s not "gone" for good, but the "coming back" part depends on Bungie fixing their backend.
- Mobile Apps: Apps like Games Tracker by Summer Kiflain are still alive and well, actually getting a fresh update in January 2026.
What actually happens in Season 3, Part 2?
When the show finally returns in March, we are picking up exactly where we left off. Colter is in "really bad shape" according to the writers. He's the only one who crawls out of that car, which leaves a massive question mark over Keaton’s head.
Is Keaton dead? In the first draft of the script, he was. The showrunners have been teasing that they might have changed their minds, but don't hold your breath. The bigger story arc for 2026 is the "government forces" moving against Colter’s family. We’re finally going to get real answers about his father’s death and why everyone is so obsessed with those old files.
Tips for surviving the hiatus
Since we have about six weeks left of waiting, you’ve got to fill the time. A lot of people on Reddit are re-watching Burn Notice or The Mentalist to get that "competency porn" fix. If you’re just here for Justin Hartley, his old episodes of This Is Us are still streaming, though the vibe is... significantly less "hunting criminals in the woods."
Your Action Plan for March 1:
- Check your DVR: Since the timeslot moved to 9 PM ET / 8 PM CT, your old "record all" settings might need a manual refresh depending on how smart your box is.
- Watch for the "Y: Marshals" Lead-in: CBS is hoping you'll stay tuned from the Yellowstone spin-off directly into Tracker.
- Download the Tracker Network App: If you were looking for game stats, skip the broken web interfaces and use the dedicated mobile apps which seem to be more stable with the new API updates.
The "is tracker coming back" mystery isn't really a mystery anymore—it's just a test of patience. Colter Shaw will be back on his feet by the first Sunday of March, provided he can outrun the cops and find some bandages first.