Survivor winners have taken home the $1 million prize along with the title of Sole Survivor, but during some seasons, the players have been playing for more. In the past, it's been bragging rights, glory, or a chance at another season. And, that's just what happened in Survivor 49, according to host and executive producer Jeff Probst.
In an interview with Gold Derby, Probst slipped a huge tease about the Survivor 49 cast and a little extra motivation they had to play hard and go big: Getting cast in Survivor 50.
After sharing one of the big challenges and unique aspects of Survivor 49, Probst revealed that the new players were also playing for a spot in Survivor 50.
"The other thing that's interesting about 49 is they were aware because they asked me, 'Have you finished casting 50 yet?' And I said, 'No, it's in a state of flux.' And you could see all of them almost at the same moment go, 'I got a shot. I could be on 50.' I think that added obviously a little incentive to go for it. It's a hard run for them in the beginning. It evens out a little later, the weather dies down. But I think fans are going to really like this group. And then it's a setup for 50 because we've announced that two of these players end up on 50."
Probst is referring to the weather, and the heat specifically, being a huge hurdle for this group of players to overcome early in the season. It's great that things cool down later in the game, but that's not the good part of Probst's reveal. It's awesome to know that these players are really going to go for it in Survivor 49 to earn a spot in Survivor 50.
That was one of the criticisms of Survivor 48. The gameplay was too formulaic, too predictable. Fans accused the players of not making enough big moves. So, it will be interesting to see just how big and bold the Survivor 49 players will play with a spot in Survivor 50 on the line.
Which players from Survivor 49 make Survivor 50 have already been revealed by Inside Survivor. We're going to talk about which of those players makes the cast of the 50th season next. So, if you're not ready for that spoiler, you have been warned!
Survivor 50 cast spoilers ahead!
Which Survivor 49 players will be on the Survivor 50 cast?
So, the Survivor 49 players who will be playing Survivor 50 are Savannah Louie and Rizo Velovic. We don't know any information about where they finish the game, whether they go home early, or make it to the end. There are no spoilers yet for Survivor 49 that I've seen, but there are some theories about one of these players making it far in the game.
Another interesting wrinkle is that Savannah and Rizo begin the season on the same tribe, the Uli tribe, according to Survivor. So, we'll just have to wait and see if they are allies, enemies, or neither.
Clearly, Probst and casting saw something in the way Rizo and Savannah play Survivor 49 to think they will be good for Survivor 50. There was a short break between seasons, so hopefully, they were able to get their minds and bodies right before playing Survivor again so soon after.
There haven't been many times where Survivor players have played two seasons in a row, but it has happened quite often in the past. I don't think we've ever seen a play play two seasons in a row, having won either season, though, so that could be a new thing if Rizo or Savannah win Survivor 49 or 50.
Stay tuned for more news about Survivor 49! The new season premieres on Wednesday, Sept. 24, on CBS and Paramount+.