Survivor 50 Details Emerge: Showrunner Announces Returning Players for 50th Season

Jeff Probst recently mentioned to Entertainment Weekly that they were still in the process of developing a strategy for the milestone fiftieth season of Survivor. However, those plans are now swiftly taking shape.

At a Survivor Q&A event with EW Editor in Chief Patrick Gomez on Saturday night at the Ovation Hollywood complex in Los Angeles, Jeff Probst revealed that Survivor 50, scheduled to commence filming around Memorial Day 2025 and air in spring 2026, will exclusively showcase returning players.

"At the conclusion of the event," remarked the host and showrunner, "I just had an idea. Survivor 50 is on the horizon. The reality is, we're currently focused on seasons 47 and 48, which are our next shoots, followed by 49. But we're aware that 50 is approaching. So, I'm curious, is there a sentiment that 50 should feature new players and not be made into a major event?"

Following the audience's response of "no," Probst inquired, "Or should it involve returning players?"

After receiving a positive response to the idea of featuring returning players, Probst declared, "In the spirit of sometimes letting the game be in the hands of the fans, I feel like — and there are a couple of people from CBS right now going ‘Oh my God, what is happening?’ — I feel like we should just commit and make this the moment where we decide that Survivor 50 will indeed be returning players. I don’t know what will happen after this, but I’m pretty sure we’re committed."

Excluding Bruce Perreault, who was more of a do-over due to getting injured shortly into his first season, Survivor (currently airing Survivor 46 on CBS) is now in the longest consecutive stretch of seasons featuring all new players since the show introduced returning players in Survivor: All-Stars (season 8). The new era that began with Survivor 41 has not included any returning all-stars. Additionally, the host has confirmed to EW that there will be no returning players in seasons 47 or 48, and it appears that Survivor 49 will also feature all new players.

While Jeff Probst has confirmed that Survivor 50 will consist of all returning players, similar to seasons 40 and 20, he has not revealed the specific theme yet. Viewers have speculated various possibilities, including a fan-voted Second Chance season, an Old Era vs. New Era showdown, or a season featuring runner-ups (following season 40, which showcased all winners). The theme remains a topic of discussion among fans awaiting further details.

The theme for season 50 of Survivor will likely remain a mystery for some time, allowing fans to continue dreaming up potential cast scenarios for what could become the franchise's most significant season to date.