Originally conceived to capitalize on the massive rivalry between Hulk Hogan and André the Giant following WrestleMania III, the event was first held on Thanksgiving Day. Its hallmark was the , where teams of four or five wrestlers fought until one side was entirely eliminated.

Under the leadership of Triple H, the event was rebranded as Survivor Series: WarGames , incorporating the legendary double-ring steel cage match originally created by Dusty Rhodes for the NWA and WCW. Iconic Match Types and Rules

Focused heavily on multi-man elimination tags, often held on or around Thanksgiving.

Over decades, the event has transitioned through several eras:

Centered on a cross-brand war between RAW, SmackDown, and occasionally NXT to determine which roster was superior.