After the finale of Survivor 48, CBS revealed the long-awaited cast of Season 50, the first returnee season since Season 40, Winners at War.
With 24 legendary players, the most in any Survivor season, it’s the perfect time to look back at the historic game’s evolution. Survivor first aired in May 2000, marking 25 revolutionary years of the reality show.
While Survivor has made a post-COVID comeback, thanks to millennials and Gen Z-ers bingeing the long-running series during quarantine as well as its upcoming milestone, the show’s lifespan has been more like a roller coaster than a steady drive. The show’s inaugural season, Survivor: Borneo, was so popular that it made the tabloids. Paparazzi punters ached to snap photos of the season’s winner, Richard Hatch, as well as other early Survivor celebs, such as Jerri Manthey and Ethan Zohn.
Nowadays, Survivor is still one of the most-watched network television shows, as well as CBS’s most popular reality series, but it’s come a long way since Season 1. Some die-hard day one fans might argue that the DNA of Survivor has changed, but like a person, that’s the only thing that has stayed the same. Beyond that, Survivor has grown and changed with its production, gameplay, tone, and more. And we’re eager to see how those changes come together in its (hopefully) legendary 50th season.
CBS
We will get into how the game has evolved, but before we do that, we need to acknowledge that Survivor is still true to its original identity. Since Season 1, Jeff Probst has hosted the show, although after Survivor: Gabon (Season 17), he considered quitting the show after growing frustrated with some aspects. However, after a short respite, he returned to host and by Survivor: Nicaragua (Season 21), was promoted to executive producer and showrunner. Before that, Survivor was Mark Burnett’s baby, but Jeff adopted it and turned into “the monster” we know it as today. By being a major part of Survivor’s DNA from day one, Jeff ensures that Survivor holds onto the fabric that makes it what it is.
That fabric is woven with Survivor’s long-standing motto: “Outwit, Outplay, Outlast.” While strategy wasn’t written into the gameplay of Survivor and was largely unimportant in the early seasons, players have always been encouraged to “outwit” one another to become the Sole Survivor and winner of $1 million at the end. The ever-present challenges force contestants to “play” the game, and of course, Survivor’s concept comes down to the aspect of outlasting and surviving, hence the title. “Castaways” are sent to live in the wilderness and forced to rely on each other for food, shelter, and other basic necessities. While most have stuck out the harsh and uncomfortable conditions, several players have quit or been injured, forcing their premature exits. And no matter what, the winner has always outwitted, outplayed, and outlasted the others.
Additionally, Survivor has always held a special place in the hearts of its fans, which is likely why Season 50’s theme is “In the Hands of the Fans.” Some fans have watched the show since its first season in 2000. I was one of those fans, watching my first episode of Survivor when I was just 7 years old. Now at 32, I’m still here, listening to podcasts and keeping up with the players, rumors, and ever-changing gameplay 25 years later. Newer fans may not have even been alive during the show’s first season, while others have circled back to the show after breaks. Regardless, Survivor is always there for us, and we’re always there for Survivor.
In Season 1, Survivor started with two tribes of eight, merged them together until they came down to a Final Two, and the jury voted for the first winner after 39 days. Since then, producers have played around with the format, starting with two, three, and even four tribes, with variations of 16 to 20 players. They first introduced a tribe swap in Africa (Season 3), which has become a possible and often expected twist that forces players to form new complicated alliances. Pearl Islands (Season 7) introduced the first “Outcasts” tribe, in which players who were voted out were able to win their way back into the game, an idea later built upon in Redemption Island and its sister seasons.
In Cook Islands (Season 13), a Final Three became the norm so that the jury could vote for a winner among three finalists instead of two. By Millennials vs. Gen X (Season 33), Survivor stayed in Fiji instead of changing location each season for budget reasons. And in Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers (Season 35), the controversial Final Four Fire-Making challenge was introduced to replace the Final Four vote. Jeff has claimed that this is to give dominant players a path to winning, even if they lose the Final Four immunity challenge, as their inevitable voteout was often a less interesting storyline. In the New Era of Survivor (Seasons 41–48), seasons were shortened to 26 days instead of 39 days, forcing a faster pace with less emphasis on survival, and a greater emphasis on strategic gameplay and relationships.
CBS
When Survivor began, the challenges were directly related to the concept of the show. Players had to work together to make the best SOS signal that could be spotted by a helicopter in the sky, complete an 11-mile hike first to get to their camps, and often had to ignite a fire to mark their completion of the challenge. There were also food challenges, in which contestants had to eat exotic ingredients of the local cuisine, such as larvae, cow’s blood, and even tarantula. Another long-lost favorite were challenges that tested the players’ knowledge of the local culture and history, as well as pitting them against one another by forcing players to answer questions such as, “Who is the most annoying person on the tribe?” or “Who would you trust with your life?”
Nowadays, however, the challenges have morphed into physically and mentally demanding obstacle courses with trademarks such as diving in mud, untying ropes, tossing balls or rings, digging up keys, and of course, puzzles, or as Jeff calls them, “the great equalizer.” There are some beloved mainstays, such as “Get a Grip,” in which players must stay perched atop a pole for as long as possible, “Simmotion,” in which players must add balls to a device that drops them down without letting any fall to the floor, and “Last Gasp,” in which players must breathe through a grate as the tide rises above them. But even these have morphed slightly to make them more difficult as players learn the tricks of the trade.
CBS
While some old-school viewers prefer the early days when simply forming an alliance was considered an act of rebellion, the show would probably not have continued 25 years and 50 seasons if producers didn’t adapt the game to create more surprises, twists, and turns. However, I can agree that some twists have gone too far and are too luck-based, such as in Survivor 48, when several players lost their votes on a “journey” in which they had to roll dice to win back their votes. Even still, it’s a tricky balance, and we have to respect the risks taken by production to incorporate new ways to shake up the game — otherwise, players would outsmart the game as a whole and viewers at home wouldn’t be as entertained as we are.
In Guatemala (Season 11), the Hidden Immunity Idol was first introduced as a preventative idol, so players could play it before any votes were cast. However, after Season 13, it was clear the idol had too much power, so it later transformed to negate votes after they’re read, meaning that whoever played it had to do so correctly, showing not only their ability to collect advantages, but also to read the room and play it at the right time for the right person.
As the seasons continued, so did the evolution of the twists, which probably have had the greatest impact on how gameplay has changed. Alliances could no longer place all their votes on one person in fear that they would hold a hidden immunity idol, forcing more blindsides and more betrayals (and therefore more exciting television!) Extra votes, steal-a-vote, and block-a-vote advantages have flipped the game on its head when competing alliances were close in number. We’ve seen numerous advantages and disadvantages in the show’s 48 seasons, and while some are more welcome than others, the fast pace and high volume of twists can create more chaos, as seen in New Era seasons like Survivor 46.
But the chaos has also led to stronger relationships, character growth, and alliances, as seen in Survivor 45 and Survivor 48, harkening back to early seasons of Survivor. From 2000 to 2025, viewers have seen how in an unfamiliar world stripped down to dirt, trees, and a machete (and maybe a few cameramen), knowing who your real friends are is really the only thing that matters.
With 24 legendary players, the most in any Survivor season, it’s the perfect time to look back at the historic game’s evolution. Survivor first aired in May 2000, marking 25 revolutionary years of the reality show.
While Survivor has made a post-COVID comeback, thanks to millennials and Gen Z-ers bingeing the long-running series during quarantine as well as its upcoming milestone, the show’s lifespan has been more like a roller coaster than a steady drive. The show’s inaugural season, Survivor: Borneo, was so popular that it made the tabloids. Paparazzi punters ached to snap photos of the season’s winner, Richard Hatch, as well as other early Survivor celebs, such as Jerri Manthey and Ethan Zohn.
Nowadays, Survivor is still one of the most-watched network television shows, as well as CBS’s most popular reality series, but it’s come a long way since Season 1. Some die-hard day one fans might argue that the DNA of Survivor has changed, but like a person, that’s the only thing that has stayed the same. Beyond that, Survivor has grown and changed with its production, gameplay, tone, and more. And we’re eager to see how those changes come together in its (hopefully) legendary 50th season.
Three aspects of Survivor have remained steadfast: the host, the motto, and the love of the fans.
CBS
We will get into how the game has evolved, but before we do that, we need to acknowledge that Survivor is still true to its original identity. Since Season 1, Jeff Probst has hosted the show, although after Survivor: Gabon (Season 17), he considered quitting the show after growing frustrated with some aspects. However, after a short respite, he returned to host and by Survivor: Nicaragua (Season 21), was promoted to executive producer and showrunner. Before that, Survivor was Mark Burnett’s baby, but Jeff adopted it and turned into “the monster” we know it as today. By being a major part of Survivor’s DNA from day one, Jeff ensures that Survivor holds onto the fabric that makes it what it is.
That fabric is woven with Survivor’s long-standing motto: “Outwit, Outplay, Outlast.” While strategy wasn’t written into the gameplay of Survivor and was largely unimportant in the early seasons, players have always been encouraged to “outwit” one another to become the Sole Survivor and winner of $1 million at the end. The ever-present challenges force contestants to “play” the game, and of course, Survivor’s concept comes down to the aspect of outlasting and surviving, hence the title. “Castaways” are sent to live in the wilderness and forced to rely on each other for food, shelter, and other basic necessities. While most have stuck out the harsh and uncomfortable conditions, several players have quit or been injured, forcing their premature exits. And no matter what, the winner has always outwitted, outplayed, and outlasted the others.
Additionally, Survivor has always held a special place in the hearts of its fans, which is likely why Season 50’s theme is “In the Hands of the Fans.” Some fans have watched the show since its first season in 2000. I was one of those fans, watching my first episode of Survivor when I was just 7 years old. Now at 32, I’m still here, listening to podcasts and keeping up with the players, rumors, and ever-changing gameplay 25 years later. Newer fans may not have even been alive during the show’s first season, while others have circled back to the show after breaks. Regardless, Survivor is always there for us, and we’re always there for Survivor.
Survivor’s basic format has changed slightly throughout the years.
In Season 1, Survivor started with two tribes of eight, merged them together until they came down to a Final Two, and the jury voted for the first winner after 39 days. Since then, producers have played around with the format, starting with two, three, and even four tribes, with variations of 16 to 20 players. They first introduced a tribe swap in Africa (Season 3), which has become a possible and often expected twist that forces players to form new complicated alliances. Pearl Islands (Season 7) introduced the first “Outcasts” tribe, in which players who were voted out were able to win their way back into the game, an idea later built upon in Redemption Island and its sister seasons.
In Cook Islands (Season 13), a Final Three became the norm so that the jury could vote for a winner among three finalists instead of two. By Millennials vs. Gen X (Season 33), Survivor stayed in Fiji instead of changing location each season for budget reasons. And in Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers (Season 35), the controversial Final Four Fire-Making challenge was introduced to replace the Final Four vote. Jeff has claimed that this is to give dominant players a path to winning, even if they lose the Final Four immunity challenge, as their inevitable voteout was often a less interesting storyline. In the New Era of Survivor (Seasons 41–48), seasons were shortened to 26 days instead of 39 days, forcing a faster pace with less emphasis on survival, and a greater emphasis on strategic gameplay and relationships.
The challenges have become more physically and mentally demanding but less relevant.
CBS
When Survivor began, the challenges were directly related to the concept of the show. Players had to work together to make the best SOS signal that could be spotted by a helicopter in the sky, complete an 11-mile hike first to get to their camps, and often had to ignite a fire to mark their completion of the challenge. There were also food challenges, in which contestants had to eat exotic ingredients of the local cuisine, such as larvae, cow’s blood, and even tarantula. Another long-lost favorite were challenges that tested the players’ knowledge of the local culture and history, as well as pitting them against one another by forcing players to answer questions such as, “Who is the most annoying person on the tribe?” or “Who would you trust with your life?”
Nowadays, however, the challenges have morphed into physically and mentally demanding obstacle courses with trademarks such as diving in mud, untying ropes, tossing balls or rings, digging up keys, and of course, puzzles, or as Jeff calls them, “the great equalizer.” There are some beloved mainstays, such as “Get a Grip,” in which players must stay perched atop a pole for as long as possible, “Simmotion,” in which players must add balls to a device that drops them down without letting any fall to the floor, and “Last Gasp,” in which players must breathe through a grate as the tide rises above them. But even these have morphed slightly to make them more difficult as players learn the tricks of the trade.
Twists and strategic gameplay have overtaken survival skills in importance.
CBS
While some old-school viewers prefer the early days when simply forming an alliance was considered an act of rebellion, the show would probably not have continued 25 years and 50 seasons if producers didn’t adapt the game to create more surprises, twists, and turns. However, I can agree that some twists have gone too far and are too luck-based, such as in Survivor 48, when several players lost their votes on a “journey” in which they had to roll dice to win back their votes. Even still, it’s a tricky balance, and we have to respect the risks taken by production to incorporate new ways to shake up the game — otherwise, players would outsmart the game as a whole and viewers at home wouldn’t be as entertained as we are.
In Guatemala (Season 11), the Hidden Immunity Idol was first introduced as a preventative idol, so players could play it before any votes were cast. However, after Season 13, it was clear the idol had too much power, so it later transformed to negate votes after they’re read, meaning that whoever played it had to do so correctly, showing not only their ability to collect advantages, but also to read the room and play it at the right time for the right person.
As the seasons continued, so did the evolution of the twists, which probably have had the greatest impact on how gameplay has changed. Alliances could no longer place all their votes on one person in fear that they would hold a hidden immunity idol, forcing more blindsides and more betrayals (and therefore more exciting television!) Extra votes, steal-a-vote, and block-a-vote advantages have flipped the game on its head when competing alliances were close in number. We’ve seen numerous advantages and disadvantages in the show’s 48 seasons, and while some are more welcome than others, the fast pace and high volume of twists can create more chaos, as seen in New Era seasons like Survivor 46.
But the chaos has also led to stronger relationships, character growth, and alliances, as seen in Survivor 45 and Survivor 48, harkening back to early seasons of Survivor. From 2000 to 2025, viewers have seen how in an unfamiliar world stripped down to dirt, trees, and a machete (and maybe a few cameramen), knowing who your real friends are is really the only thing that matters.