[3][4] On July 21, Kirsten Vangsness confirmed that Paget Brewster would reprise her role as SSA Emily Prentiss for multiple episodes.

[5] On August 10, 2016, Aisha Tyler, who joined the show in the previous season as Dr. Tara Lewis, was promoted to a series regular.

[8] To fill the void after Gibson's firing, Damon Gupton was cast in the series regular role of Special Agent Stephen Walker, a profiler from the Behavioral Analysis Program in the FBI.

[9] Shemar Moore reprised his role as Derek Morgan in the season finale as his character tried to help catch Mr. Scratch after bringing the BAU a lead in the case against him.

[11][12] On August 11, 2016, Deadline reported that Thomas Gibson had been suspended and therefore written out from two episodes due to an on-set altercation with one of the producers.