Jeff Probst Announces Returning Players for 'Survivor' Season 50

Jeff Probst

The pandemic ushered in a "new era" of Survivor, between reduced days, harder trials, and never-before-seen twists. And, true to that moniker, we have only so far seen one returning player so far in the past six seasons. But, for the upcoming 50th season of the hit reality franchise, that's all about to change.

Host and executive producer Jeff Probst announced that the upcoming Survivor 50, which will assumingly film next summer and air in 2026, will feature returning players. He made the call seemingly while in attendance at a "For Your Consideration" event for the show in Los Angeles on Saturday night.

"We just decided, thanks to all the fans that were in attendance at the FYC event here in Hollywood, that Survivor 50 will be returning players," Probst posted on his Instagram, then turning the camera on the crowd of fans in celebration of the moment.

Related: Everything to Know About Survivor 46

This is indeed a big deal for longtime fans of Survivor. Some of the most popular seasons of all time, such as season 20's Heroes vs. Villains and season 16's Fans vs. Favorites have brought back all-stars from seasons past to duke it out against each other. The 40th season of the Emmy-winning series was a battle for the ages, as 2020's Winners at War brought back 20 previous winners for a chance to repeat their success and net a $2 million prize.

However, since then, the show has strayed away from an emphasis on returning players, instead focusing on bringing in new faces to the franchise. In fact, Probst has previously communicated that we should not expect to see any more returnees on Survivor through season 48 in 2025. The sole exception has been Bruce Perreault, who appeared on season 44 before being medically evacuated only 12 hours in. He was then brought back immediately for season 45.

Up until the FYC event, Survivor had kept its plans for season 50 in the dark. "We have not come up with our idea for 50 yet," Probst told Entertainment Weekly. "Obviously, we think about it. We still have 47, 48, and 49, and you might think I'm deflecting, but I don't. To me, those are stress-inducing problems. What are we going to do in 47? What are we going to do in 48? What are we going to do in 49? Then, if we get to 50, what are we going to do? And how do you top Winners at War? What is the idea that would be fun to do? I don't know. We’re working on it, dreaming about it a lot. Don't have the answer yet."

Regardless of what the theme may be, if there is one, we should expect to see a lot of familiar faces come Survivor 50.

Next, check out the photos, bios, and interviews with the cast of Survivor 46.