The tribe has spoken, and the 50th season of Survivor is going to be all about you, the fans.
Since its conception, Survivor, the reality competition show, has always been about strategy, alliances, and outlasting the competition. But with the monumental 50th season fast approaching, Survivor is taking a bold new direction, placing the show’s fate “in the hands of fans.” Literally.
Over the weekend, host and showrunner Jeff Probst announced at a screening for the 48th season of Survivor that for the first time in the show’s history, fans will vote to determine the fate and structure of the show, from twists to game mechanics.
The first round of voting begins with the Survivor 48 premiere on Feb. 26, where fans will have the power to decide a variety of game-changing elements, including the tribe colors, whether contestants will begin with rice rations, and whether the iconic Final Four Firemaking Challenge stays or goes.
Additionally, fans will choose the location for the live reunion: Los Angeles or the iconic beaches of Fiji, where Survivor 50 will take place.
After the news dropped, viewers took to Reddit to express their delight over CBS' decision to make Survivor 50 all about the fans.
“When he said it was celebration for the fans, I wasn’t expecting it at THIS caliber,” one fan wrote on the Survivor subreddit. “Like this is HUGE.”
Another fan chimed in, expressing excitement over their newfound power: “live reunion??? no f4 firemaking??? holy shit.”
CBS also announced that they are partnering with Fiji Airlines to fly out five lucky groups of fans to watch Survivor 50 in person, as well as get a behind-the-scenes look at the iconic filming locations and have a meet-and-greet with Jeff Probst, the game master himself. In order to be selected, fans have to submit a video to CBS, sharing their “Survivor Tribe Story.”
This time, “the tribe has spoken” will have a new meaning.
