Survivor: Edge of Extinction announced, season 38 debuts February 20

Survivor: Edge of Extinction was officially revealed at the David vs. Goliath finale, showcasing one of the most experimental seasons of the show.

We just witnessed a dazzling end to one of the greatest seasons of Survivor we’ve ever seen. Many people were worried about the overbearing theme of David vs. Goliath dragging it down and being irredeemable, but I’ve always been of the mind that you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, especially before reading it.

That has never been a more trying concept than today, as Jeff Probst opted not to waste time promoting Kevin Hart and non-Survivor content during tonight’s finale reunion and instead revealed what may be worse; Survivor: Edge of Extinction.

Four players from recent memory will compete with 14 newcomers in an ultimate test of survival. Aubry Bracco, Kelley Wentworth, David Wright and Joe Anglim will return to the show to lead an 18-person season where being voted out of the game does not necessarily mean it’s all over.

It seems like there’s a brand new test to the game, evolving what the standards of Survivor are. The teaser video hinted at wanting to find out how alone the players can be, with a shot of a small island smaller than the size of Cook Islands‘ Exile Island and cuts to players talking about isolation. It sounds as if there will be an Exile-like twist that will see the players compete harder than they have before.

We also got confirmation for two of the 14 castaways brand new to Edge of Extinction. Rick Devens is a morning news anchor from Macon, GA, and Wendy Diaz is a swap meet vendor from Los Angeles, CA.

Survivor: Edge of Extinction offers up a myriad of questions and not enough answers. It does mean we get to see David Wright and Aubry Bracco once again, although one has to ask if it’s too much, too soon. Aubry has been a fun, engaging personality in seasons 32, 34 and now 38.