Jeff Probst Thinks the ‘New Era’ Of ‘Survivor’ Is Just as ‘Tough If Not Tougher’ Than the ‘Old Era’ (Exclusive)

According to Jeff Probst, fans shouldn’t expect the new era of Survivor — which features a shortened gameplay — to be any less difficult for the new players.

“I say that the new era is as tough if not tougher than the 39-day season for a myriad of reasons,” Probst exclusively told Us Weekly on Thursday, May 2, during the CBS Fall Schedule Celebration. “But obviously if you’re a player who played 39 days you have a little bit of pride in saying, ‘I did the full season’ but you go 18 days without any food, and then let me ask you a question, let’s see how fast you respond or don’t.”

Following Survivor milestone 40th season, Winners at War, and the brief hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Probst and the production team reworked the format of the series. The game was shortened from 39 days to 26 days to accommodate a two-week quarantine period for incoming players. Fans — and former players — have been vocal about their disappointment with the shortened season since Survivor 41.

However, the Survivor team hasn’t made it any easier for the competitors. Players now face harsher elements as they get less food and comfort in the game. Tribes also have to earn their flint when they step foot on the beach in Fiji and get it taken away if they lose a challenge. In Survivor 46, the Yanu tribe made history as they went 11 days without a fire, which meant they could not cook rice at all.

Probst previously announced that Survivor 50 will be the first all-returning player season of the new era. Only one former contestant, Bruce Perreault, has played twice in recent years, but was medically evacuated in Survivor 44 due to a concussion and got a second chance in Survivor 45 where he made the jury.

While many fans originally thought only new era players would be in the running for Survivor 50, Probst confirmed to Us that no one was “out of the running.”

“If you have players from the old era, playing in the new era — that is a storyline that’s going to be really interesting,” he teased.

Probst elaborated that in the new era, players “cannot pause” or “try to hide” compared to earlier seasons since the game moves at a faster rate.

Related: ‘Survivor’ Winners Through the Years: Where Are They Now?

It’s not an easy game — but someone’s got to play it! Survivor first debuted in 2000, quickly becoming a fan-favorite and ratings juggernaut for CBS. The reality series, which awards one sole Survivor the $1 million each season after lasting 39 days outside, has come a long way over the years. Host Jeff Probst, […]

“In earlier seasons if you started with 10 people on your tribe, you could hide if you were clever for a couple of episodes. You could just duck and move and not get a vote,” he explained while noting that now the show utilizes smaller groups. “You have six people on your tribe. That means there’s only five other people you cannot hide and I think the good players come out and they’re playing to win immediately.”

Survivor airs on CBS on Wednesdays at 8 pm EST.

With reporting by Kevin Zelman