Jeff Probst. Robert Voets/CBS
Survivor 50 won’t premiere until February 2026, but fans already know plenty about what to expect.
Dubbed Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans, viewers voted on exactly what the season will look like — from the color of each tribe’s buffs to the game’s twists, and even whether the finale is live or taped.
It’s a celebration of 25 years on the air for the CBS reality staple, and host Jeff Probst wanted to use the occasion to give back to the fans by letting them have a hand in the season’s production.
“I wanted it to be a thank you to the fans because that’s the whole reason we’ve been on so long is their loyalty of sticking with us,” he told Entertainment Weekly in February 2025. “Even if they don’t love every idea, they don’t quit on us.”
Robert Voets/CBS The 50th season of Survivor will pull fans into the show like never before. On Saturday, February 22, host Jeff Probst announced the newest season of the long-running reality season will be led in part by votes cast by viewers at home. “From the very first season, Survivor has been evolving. Now, for […]
Here’s what we know about Survivor 50, and everything we’re hoping for:
When Will ‘Survivor 50’ Premiere?
Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans was filmed in June 2025 and the three-hour premiere will air Wednesday, February 25, 2026, on CBS at 8 p.m. ET.
CBS will also air 10 classic Survivor episodes in the days leading up to the premiere, beginning on Monday, February 9.
Who Is in the ‘Survivor 50’ Cast?
In May 2025, Probst announced 24 players, including two winners and several multiseason contestants, would be making their return to the game. The cast includes Survivor legends Cirie Fields and Ozzy Lusth, season 1’s Jenna Lewis-Dougherty, season 2’s Colby Donaldson, season 10’s Stephenie LaGrossa Kendrick, season 18’s Benjamin “Coach” Wade, season 32’s Aubry Bracco, season 35’s Chrissy Hofbeck, season 37’s Mike White, Christian Hubicki and Angelina Keely, season 38’s Rick Devens, season 42’s Jonathan Young, season 45’s Dee Valladares and Emily Flippen, season 46’s Quintavius “Q” Burdette, Tiffany Ervin and Charlie Davis, season 47’s Genevieve Mushaluk, season 48’s Kamilla Karthigesu, Kyle Fraser and Joe Hunter, and season 49’s Rizo Velovic and Savannah Louie.
Everything Fans Voted On for ‘Survivor 50’
The fan vote for season 50 started simple, as the first questions fans faced was to choose the colors for each tribe.
After that, it got interesting. Fans then voted on whether players would receive rice at the start of the game and had a hand in guiding the advantages and twists throughout. At the end of the season, fans determined if the final three would be set by a fire-making challenge, which has happened every season since 35, Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers. They will also chose whether the votes were read during the final tribal council, as has been the case throughout the new era, or if the series will return to a live finale in the United States, which would air long after the season was taped.
The third round of fan voting covered the look of the immunity necklace, the supplies each tribe will have at the start of the game, and, most critically, game twists.
“The right twist at the right moment can change the game for players in exciting ways. But some fans prefer a more straightforward game where strategic alliances are all that matter. Which are you?” CBS teased in theits round three voting announcement, without revealing which twists fans will be able to dictate.
The final round of voting pit old-school and new-school Survivor fans against each other as viewers determined whether players would be able to hunt for hidden immunity idols.
The question posed to fans read, “Your last big decision regarding game play! Idols are a big part of today’s game and responsible for some of the most dramatic moves in Survivor history — but for Survivor 50, YOU get to decide: IDOLS or NO IDOLS.”
Survivor has not had a season without any hidden idols whatsoever since season 10, which aired in 2004, but the question touches on one gripe many fans have with the show’s current format. Some feel there are too many idols and advantages at play, and they can now vote on whether season 50 is truly back to basics.
Fans will not know the results of their voting until they see Survivor 50 players hit the beach during the premiere.
Longtime Survivor fans were met with a welcome surprise during the Wednesday, November 13 episode of the long-running CBS reality show when the jury introduction segment returned to Tribal Council. Now in its 47th season, Survivor episodes have largely followed the same format since the show began, with each one culminating in a trip to […]
How Many Days Will the ‘Survivor 50’ Cast Play?
Like all seasons in the new era, the game will take place for 26 days.
Can Voting Change the Trajectory of Future Seasons?
Rarely does Survivor commit to keeping an element of the game static for the rest of time. The show is tied to Fiji as a location right now and 26 days as the season length, but after that, just about everything is subject to change.
Asked if the fans’ votes on Survivor 50 could impact future seasons, Probst said it was a possibility.
“That remains to be seen, but I’m certainly open to it,” he said. “I think there’s two things that you have to remember when you’re listening to advice from a fan. One is that’s really how they feel and you’ve got to consider that. The other is your job is to produce an entertaining show.”
What Twists Do We Know About?
Apart from what the fans have already voted on, the preview for Survivor 50, which aired following the Survivor 49 finale, revealed several more twists — we just don’t yet know what they mean.
The teaser showed that season 50 will have some celebrity influence, with Mr. Beast showing up in Fiji with a briefcase, and whatever’s inside is sure to change the game. Zac Brown also makes an appearance, though his role remains unexplained.
There will also be something called a Billie Eilish Boomerang Idol, and at one point Christian says, “Jimmy Fallon may decide my fate in this game.”
What Is the ‘Survivor 50’ Challenge?
Before season 50 premieres, fans will have a chance to go on their own hunt for a hidden immunity idol. Survivor announced during the season 49 finale that the Survivor 50 Challenge will kick off on January 30, sending fans on a scavenger hunt for one idol in all 50 states. The show has not yet revealed what it teases as an “epic grand prize.”
What We Hope For: A Return of Classic Competitions
Survivor fans celebrated the return of the Survivor Auction in season 45 like they themselves had been denied the juicy cheeseburgers and rich chocolate cakes up for grabs in Fiji. It was the first time since Survivor: Worlds Apart (season 30) that fans had seen the auction.
Of course, Survivor 50 should have an auction. It should also have some other old favorites — some that we see nearly every year and some we haven’t seen yet in the new era. It can start with a return of Bob-Bob Buoy for the first time since season 10. The one time it ran, it was the longest endurance challenge ever on a US Survivor season, lasting almost 12 hours.
The Last Gasp challenge also debuted in season 10 but has popped up again several times over the years, most recently in Survivor 44. It provided one of the most memorable moments of the new era when, in season 43, Karla Cruz Godoy and Owen Knight were able to stay under a steel grate but above the water for so long that the tides went back out, making it impossible to finish. Both players were declared winners.
What We Hope For: The Loved Ones Visit
Fans have been clamoring for a return of the Loved Ones Visit, and why shouldn’t they? The segment never fails to produce some tears as players are surprised with a visit from a family member or friend before a challenge. The winners of the challenge then get some time with their loved ones, as well as an opportunity to take fellow players (and their families) with them. Not only is it an emotional moment, but it brings out the best and worst in the castaways as they are either rewarded or denied time with their person.
The shortened format, as well as COVID restrictions for the first few seasons of the new era, put the Loved Ones Visit on the back-burner. But don’t forget: castaways are away for far longer than the time they’re actually playing the game. They fly out to Fiji well before the game begins and are sequestered before filming starts. By the time the loved ones would normally arrive to the beach, the contestants have already been away from home for well over a month.
