Survivor 50 will allow fans to vote on putting key elements into the game
Crucial creative decisions for the season will be left up to the viewers.
ROBERT VOETS/CBS
The Survivor 48 premiere is just days away. But at an advance screening of the episode in New York City, host and showrunner Jeff Probst broke some big news about an eagerly anticipated future season that is sure to get fans excited — because they will get to make the call when it comes to several key elements in the game.
For Survivor 50, which will begin filming in a few months and will start airing in Feb. 2026, producers and CBS are putting the season “in the hands of the fans.” Quite literally as that is the official title. Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans. But it’s not just a title: Viewers will also be able to vote in a series of categories that will determine the course of what unfolds on the island.
The first round of voting will commence during the Survivor 48 premiere on Feb. 26, and fans will be able to vote on a special website. There will then be additional voting categories added throughout the spring leading up to filming on the season. Some of the decisions fans will be in charge of include: “Idols or No Idols,” “Final Four Fire Making: Keep It or Lose It” and “Live Finale and Reunion Show in L.A. – or Keep the Winner Reveal and Aftershow in the Jungles of Fiji.” However, none of the results will be revealed to the actual contestants until they are on the island playing the game. (Sneaky!)
This marks the most power viewers have had since a fan vote selected the final cast for Survivor: Cambodia — Second Chance back in 2015, and to help whip the fanbase into a frenzy, CBS also released the official Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans logo, which can be seen below.
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“From the very first season, Survivor has been evolving,” says Probst in statement released with the news. “Now, for our 50th season, it’s time for the next evolution. Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans is unlike anything we’ve done before. For the first time ever, our loyal fans will take control — deciding key elements of the game, from twists to idols to advantages. I can’t wait to see what the fans choose for our returning players!”
But producers aren’t just turning their power over to the viewers in terms of controlling key aspects of Survivor 50; they will also be flying people out to watch Survivor 50 in action. Survivor has partnered with Fiji Airways to fly five lucky groups of fans to Fiji during filming to see all the iconic locations and behind-the-scenes areas while also getting some face time with the Hostmaster General himself. (Hopefuls can submit their entry videos here.)
It’s all part of a season-long initiative to pay tribute to the folks that have supported Survivor 25 years. And the way this franchise is going… perhaps another 25 to come.
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‘Survivor’ 50: Jeff Probst talks casting all-stars season, whether he’d play ‘Traitors’
The newest “Survivor” season premieres Wednesday night but longtime fans are already keeping an eye out for the next year’s milestone release.
“Survivor” Season 50 will mark not only a celebratory anniversary moment during the show’s 25-year run but will be one of the most anticipated contests yet.
The producers have confirmed the season will feature an all-star cast, with host Jeff Probst revealing he wants the group to embody all types of former players from various eras. Yet the casting process has been almost as perplexing as the game of “Survivor,” in which contestants grapple with food deprivation, compete in physically demanding challenges and vote each other out for a $1 million prize.
“We don’t have a cast yet and that’s the truth,” Probst told USA TODAY on Monday. “We started from 200 and then we got it down to 100. And from that point it’s been tough because every time you cut somebody you know you’re killing a dream but you’re also losing a potential great story.”
Choosing from over 700 former castaways, Probst said they must narrow it down to between 18 and 20 players. As of this week, he said the short list was at around 50 people as of Monday, and that he understands that the final group will disappoint fans in some ways and excite them in others.
Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.
“We’re going back to season 1 and saying, ‘Let’s just look at everyone who’s ever played, and who should we have play to represent the entirety of the show,'” Probst said. “I am pretty confident that when we get it all together, our fan base will understand this is who we think best represents ‘Survivor 50.'”
The show revealed on Saturday that the milestone season will be themed “Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans” as for the first time ever, viewers will have a say in selecting key elements of the game.
In true “Survivor” fashion, fans will vote on the inclusion or exclusion of hidden immunity idols, final four fire-making, a live reunion episode and much more. Probst said he encourages viewers to indulge in the power of shaping Season 50 by critically examining what the they want to see on TV.
“Trust that we’re going to give you enough options that you will have an impact,” Probst said. “And if you don’t want the final fire-making challenge, then don’t vote for it, but don’t just make the knee-jerk [reaction]. Give yourself a chance, so that you’re actually doing what we do, which is designing the game you want to see the players take on.”
In unfortunate news for fans, Probst has confirmed viewers will not vote on the cast like Season 31 “Survivor: Second Chance” previously allowed in 2015.
While longtime shows often suffer from longevity, fans have been relatively satisfied with recent seasons, with many claiming each gets better than the last. Probst promises Season 48 will not break this streak.
Unlike Season 47 that thrived after a slow burn of getting to know the players, Probst said Season 48 has a quicker pace filled with players that are fast, funny and ready to play.
“I think we’ve been on a run, and I don’t think that runs gonna stop with 48 and a lot of that is our casting. I mean everything about our show is the people we put on it,” he added.
Premiering Wednesday night, the new season will feature another batch of 18 players from across the nation including a Florida flight attendant, a South Carolina surgeon, a Texas P.E. coach and California stunt performer.
Though Probst has witnessed every episode firsthand since the 2000 series premiere, he’s never had the honor of playing “Survivor” himself. And that may be a good thing.
“I don’t think I could ever win ‘Survivor,'” he said. “I think I’d do OK. I’m decent [at] emotional intelligence. I think I could read some people when they were giving me a load of crap but the type of people we’re putting on today are so clever that I often can’t tell if they’re telling me the truth at tribal council … That is an indicator that I would probably not do so well as a player.”
He also said he’s not inclined to compete in other competition shows like “The Traitors,” the murder mystery game that features stars from various reality franchises like “Big Brother,” “The Real Housewives” and “RuPaul’s Drag Race.” When asked if he would compete in a theoretical all-hosts “Traitors” season, Probst’s initial reaction was “absolutely not.”
“The truth is if it wasn’t televised I think I might be interested because I do think these games are fun,” he said. “I just don’t want to be on a TV show and be embarrassed and get knocked out early. That’s what would stop me.”
He added that he hasn’t kept up with the Peacock series but is always rooting for “Survivor” alumni, including Season 22 winner Boston Rob and Season 44 finalist Carolyn Wiger, who competed in the ongoing “Traitors” season.
Since the majority of “Survivor” fans are unlikely to play the actual game itself, Probst said a new card game can give anyone a taste of the competition.
Partnering with party game developer Exploding Kittens, Probst and a team have created “Survivor The Tribe Has Spoken.”
In the interactive card game that launched last month, players collect advantages, form secret alliances, win immunity and vote out other players to make it to the end. Probst recommends playing in a group of five to six for the most intricate experience.
“I’m really proud of it. I feel very confident that if you like ‘Survivor,’ you’re going to like the card game,” Probst said. “You get all of the social manipulation, all of the fun of trying to strategize how to play something, but in the end of that game, you still have to be able to persuade people you still have to be able to read who’s telling you the truth and who isn’t.”
The Season 48 premiere of “Survivor,” titled “The Get to Know You Game,” will air Wednesday, Feb. 26, at 8 p.m. ET on CBS and stream on Paramount+ for subscribers of the Paramount+ with Showtime plan. Episodes can be streamed the next day for subscribers of any Paramount+ plan.
The first 47 seasons of the show are all available to stream with a Paramount+ subscription.
Longtime host Jeff Probst spoke with USA TODAY to discuss the casting process for the upcoming milestone season, ‘Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans,’ and why he doesn’t want to join ‘Traitors’
What are fans voting for in ‘Survivor’ 50?
Jeff says Season 48 continues TV quality streak
Would Jeff Probst ever play ‘Survivor’ or ‘The Traitors?’
‘Survivor’ launches card game replicating competition series
How to watch ‘Survivor’ Season 48
Gia’s Voting Endorsements for Survivor 50: Week 1
The voting begins tonight!
At an exclusive Survivor 48 viewing party, Jeff Probst announced that fans would have the opportunity throughout 48 to vote for the game mechanisms they would like to see in Survivor 50. While we still don’t know the full details of what this will look like, we have been told the categories we can expect to vote on during the 48 premiere.
Taking inspiration from the Bitter Jurors Podcast’s voting guide, I decided to use this as an opportunity to formally endorse certain positions in this inaugural vote.
Do I expect viewers to take these endorsements seriously? Of course not! But this is an opportunity to have fun with a season that is being hailed as a celebration of the entire history of Survivor. I look forward to voting, and I hope you take an opportunity to make your voice heard as well!
Truthfully, why is this even a debate? Providing rice to players not only guarantees that they have a source of food, but the memorable moments we have gotten from rice have far outweighed anything we have gained from forced rice negotiation. J’Tia dumping the rice out? Angelina negotiating for rice? Hunahpu giving up all of their rewards after misusing their rice? All iconic, all the result of having rice at camp in the first place.
The drama around camp is better when it happens naturally, and forcing players to step out of immunity for rice has fallen flat. My suggestion? Keep the rice at camp, let the players decide how to manage it, and bring back Eat-or-Play and other temptations during individual immunity challenges.
If forced final four fire-making has no haters, then I am dead. Once again, Survivor is best when the players are given the most agency to navigate the game. Fire-making is always a possibility at the final four, so why is it better for players to expect it as a given?
Much like the guaranteed final three, all forced fire-making does is ensure the biggest threats leave earlier in the game. Let the players decide if fire will decide their fate, but let them decide with a vote first.
Survivor 50 is a celebration, and the reunion should reflect that. With the winner revealed live in Fiji, we don’t hear from the pre-merge players, and the finalists have no time to process their placement. Plus, everything just feels rushed overall.
The players deserve better, and so do the fans. Let’s make Survivor 50 the party it’s being hyped to be, ending it all with the live reunion.
This is the one that could go a myriad of ways, and it will be hard to predict the vote options when we still don’t know everything about the season format. Will it be two tribes or three? 18 players or 20? If it’s two starting tribes, my vote is for teal and pink, with an option for adding yellow if it’s three tribes.
For the merge my vote is for black, a color that is not overused in Survivor, yet definitive enough to make sure 50 stands apart from other seasons. In actuality, the goal is to vote for fun, underused color schemes that keep the season both a celebratory occasion and distinct from its predecessors.
Voting begins during the premiere of Survivor 48. Let’s enjoy our chance to make our voices heard during this unprecedented experience!
WRITTEN BY
Gia Worthy is a Massachusetts native and a lifelong fan of Survivor. When she’s not helping to run the Survivor Diversity Campaign Twitter page, you can find her on her own Twitter, letting everyone know that Survivor: Marquesas and Fiji are criminally underrated.
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