When Survivor premiered in the summer of 2000, Jeff Probst had no idea that the show would be chugging along nearly a quarter century later. Now, more than 700 castaways and dozens of immunity idols later, the long-running series’ host and Executive Producer stopped by IGN Fan Fest to debut the first five minutes of the 48th(!) season and dive deep into Survivor’s enduring legacy.
‘Survivor Is Us.’
“I knew that in 2000 when (show creator) Mark (Brunett) hired me that this was going to be the greatest experience of my life,” Probst says. “I didn't think it would last 25 years. I thought it might get a few seasons, but I just knew at the core of the game was this study of human behavior and how we justify our ethics. I love nothing more than watching people try to navigate their way through this. And the fact that it's still on, I think says more about us than it does the game because Survivor is us.”
While the show has continually evolved over 47 editions to date, with new twists, player advantages, and locations, one thing has remained key to the show’s success: casting the right players. Probst says the new group of castaways is no different.
“The one word I would use to describe this group would be dynamic. Just big personalities, players that are willing to make a mark early.”
New for Survivor 48, we see the players’ reactions upon learning they’ve been cast on the show. Debuting exclusively as part of IGN Fan Fest, the first 5 minutes of Survivor 48 give us a glimpse at the castaways’ personalities before they even make it to the island.
New castaways include Kamilla, whose parents were convinced she’d be the first player voted out, autistic PhD candidate Eva – who was the first woman at her college to play on the men’s hockey team, and David, who Probst describes as having “so much confidence that it is literally bursting through gigantic biceps.”
While Season 48 premieres tonight and Survivor 49 debuts later in 2025, Probst (and fans) are already hyped for the show’s landmark 50th edition.
Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans will see viewers at home voting on everything from tribe colors, whether tribes are given or have to earn rice, if they get a machete and other tools, and the location of the Survivor 50 finale (live in Los Angeles or pre-taped from Fiji). Fans can log on starting tonight to weigh in on numerous aspects of the game.
“It's our way of celebrating Survivor and also saying thank you to our fans for 25 years of loyalty,” Probst says. “I'm very excited about this and it starts tonight with the premiere (and) our first four categories. Fans have a week to vote on it. Then there will be four more elements later in the season.”
‘You've Already Lost. So Play to Win.'
Shifting back to Survivor 48, Probst believes the key ingredient to any successful Survivor season is innovation, and Season 48 is no different.
“We center all of our creative around one word: uncertainty, because uncertainty is terrifying. It's almost like accepting the fact that you're probably going to lose because almost everybody loses. You've already lost. So play to win. What we're constantly trying to say to the players (is) “Play the first time like you're playing for the second time. Swing for the fence. That's how you win.”
While Survivor started off as a relatively simple concept: win challenges, earn immunity, vote your enemies out of the game, the show has grown more complex over the years. Hidden advantages and twists are now standard; a practice that goes all the way back to Season 3, where a handful of players were surprised by the first-ever tribe swap.
“(That was) really the very first time the game took a tiny pivot,” Probst says. “The players were shocked and not happy. And I remember the players' faces and thinking, 'Did we go too far? Is this okay?' (But) there is no rule book or right or wrong. We never think our ideas are the correct idea. We just think they're an idea. And once we have an idea whether it's how to change a challenge or create a new twist, we commit to it. If it doesn't work, we'll get rid of it, but let's make sure we give it a fair chance.”
A 'Cookie Jar That May Snap Your Hand Off'
As gameplay quickly evolved, Probst and the team behind Survivor realized that evolution was key to keeping the show interesting.
“If you go back to Season 1, the gameplay was very simple. If there are seven people, you want to have four, and then you're in charge. So you have to start interjecting things that make a 4-3 situation more difficult to achieve.”
And in order to make things both exciting and difficult, the producers consistently created new roadblocks and advantages for players including hidden immunity idols, Redemption Island, Exile Island, “Beware” advantages, and “Shots in the Dark.” Probst hopes viewers find that uncertainty exciting… and dangerous.
“(With) the new era, everything became about dangerous fun. Just know that every time (a player) reach(es) into that cookie jar, it may snap your hand off. So I think the biggest evolution is just 'we’ve” gotten more and more dangerous.'"
Survivor 48 premieres February 26, 2025 on CBS. Be sure to check out the rest of our interview with Jeff Probst Friday, February 28 at IGN Fan Fest including what he considers to be the quintessential Survivor story arc and how Survivor stacks up against other series with 50 seasons.
source https://www.ign.com/articles/jeff-probst-breaks-down-the-opening-minutes-of-survivor-48-and-spills-details-on-season-50-exclusive-ign-fan-fest-2025