Alkaline sulfur-containing lixiviants, including thiosulfate, polysulfides, and alkaline sulfide solutions, stand out as a promising class of altatives to cyanide because of their low toxicity, high efficiency, and strong adaptability. In this paper, we summarized the research pro-gress and remaining challenges in gold extraction using these noncyanide reagents. After a brief introduction to the preparation method, the transformation process of various sulfur-containing species in alkaline solutions was discussed. Thereafter, some insights into the mechanism of gold leaching in alkaline sulfur-containing solutions were presented from different aspects, including thermodynamics analysis, electro-chemical dissolution, and leaching kinetics. Moreover, recent progress in in-situ generation of sulfur-containing anions from gold-bearing sulf-ide minerals was outlined as well. Gold passivation caused by sulfur species was discussed in particular because it is considered the greatest challenge facing sulfur-containing leaching systems. Alkaline sulfur-containing lixiviants are expected to serve as altatives in industrial ap-plications of gold extraction, particularly for refractory gold ores containing copper and carbonaceous matter.