With Survivor 50 officially wrapped, fans everywhere are predicting how it went down. Which fan-voted gameplay made it into the season? Who was voted out first? Who won? There are so many parts of the anniversary season that are unknown that the anticipation of finding out might almost be more exciting than actually watching the season—almost... but not quite.
So we did the only thing we could think of in a time like this: we asked AI what might have gone down in Fiji for Survivor 50.
The AI version of Survivor 50 is based on the new era format, combining the outcomes of seasons 41-48 to plot out what season 50 may look like. For this experiment, we're focusing on outwit, outplay, and outlast rather than predicting what elements fans voted in.
But of course, each of our players were given defining traits based on their previous seasons that would help guide the AI with how they might play this time around. For our unknown Survivor 49 duo, they were both assigned general Survivor archetypes, but who knows how they will really play? In our version of the game, they will hereby be known as S49 #1 and S49 #2.
Our 24 returning castaways were randomly divided into three tribes to begin the game.
Bula Tribe (Blue): Ozzy Lusth, Angelina Keeley, Jonathan Young, Chrissy Hofbeck, Kamilla Karthigesu, Colby Donaldson, Emily Flippen, S49 #2.
Vinaka Tribe (Red): Cirie Fields, Rick Devens, Kyle Fraser, Jenna Lewis-Dougherty, Tiffany Ervin, Genevieve Mushaluk, Joe Hunter, Q Burdette.
Mana Tribe (Yellow): Christian Hubicki, Stephenie LaGrossa Kendrick, Dee Valladares, Benjamin "Coach" Wade, Charlie Davis, Mike White, Aubry Bracco, S49 #1.
Now let's get into our early days of gameplay, summarized below.
As always, the game kicks off with the marooning challenge where tribes compete for supplies. The winner receives a flint, pot, and machete as well as an early morale lead in the game.
The Mana tribe secures first place, forcing Bula and Vinaka to each send a player on a journey for a second chance at earning supplies. Bula collectively chooses Emily to go on the journey while Q volunteers for the Vinaka tribe. His frustration in losing the first challenge causes him to have a rough performance on the journey, allowing Emily to finish the task first and bring supplies back for Bula.
But while they are away on the journey, early bonds are forming back at camp. Colby, Jonathan, and Ozzy grow closer as they begin building Bula's camp structure. Cirie starts laying out a social game to hook in Tiffany, Kyle, and Genevieve over at Vinaka. And the winning Mana tribe arrives at camp where Coach chooses to start things off with a motivational speech, ultimately rubbing everyone the wrong way and immediately placing him on the outs.
Emily returns to camp with supplies and is met with Angelina pitching an alliance between the two of them and Chrissy. The Vinaka tribe is disappointed that Q couldn't secure supplies, but his need to take charge upon returning is what begins to irritate everyone, leaving him unaligned at the beginning.
No elimination on day 1.
The sun rises on the Mana camp to find Coach loudly meditating while the rest of his tribe discusses targeting him. Sensing he's on the outs, he tries to feel out Charlie as an ally, but Charlie is already set on working with Christian and Mike.
Meanwhile at Vinaka, Devens and Q are bonding over using chaos as a strategy, though Devens still doesn't fully trust Q. Bula awakens to building tension as Angelina thinks there's a better way for Ozzy to build their fire pit. He isn't a fan of being told what to do.
Immunity Challenge: Vinaka takes first place and finally gets flint. Mana takes second place, sending Bula to Tribal Council.
After losing the challenge, the Bula tribe finds themselves divided between two voting groups. Ozzy, Jonathan, and Colby push to vote out Angelina while she's scrambling to convince Emily, Chrissy, Kamilla, and S49 #2 to vote out one of the bigger physical threats as they're becoming too close.
Jeff opens Tribal Council by asking everyone how it feels to be back in the hot seat. After a full discussion where Angelina and Ozzy aim accusations at each other, Emily notes that "perception is the most dangerous thing in this game," before it is time to vote.
One vote for Ozzy. Two votes for Angelina. Five votes for Jonathan.
Jonathan Young is the first person voted out of AI Survivor 50.
After Jonathan was voted out of Bula at the last Tribal Council, Ozzy and Colby realize they have to take control of the game or else they'll be next. Q continues to annoy the Vinaka tribe to the point of Genevieve and Tiffany joke they might throw the challenge just to boot him. Over at Mana beach, Coach wakes everyone up with a chant as he announces, "The era of the Dragon Phoenix has arrived." Christian, Mike, and Charlie set up a fake Tribal Council after Stephenie implores that Coach needs to go home ASAP. Coach doesn't get the joke.
Immunity Challenge: Mana takes first place and Bula secures second, getting their flint back. Vinaka loses the challenge and their flint, earning a date at the Tribal Council with Jeff.
Q immediately accuses everyone of throwing the challenge, which they deny. While everyone seems on board with voting him out, Jenna and Joe try to pull in Devens to blind side Cirie.
Tribal Council begins as Jeff asks about how it works when there are multiple strong personalities that start clashing. Feeling the question is directed at him, Q makes the case that the answer to strengthening a weak tribe isn't by getting rid of the strong players. Cirie counters, "Strength isn't just physical. Strategy is strength. Trust is strength."
One vote for Cirie. Seven votes for Q.
Q Burdette is the second person voted out of AI Survivor 50.
Vinaka feels like the game can officially begin now that Q is gone. Over at Bula, S49 #2 starts to buddy up to Colby in an attempt to secure numbers for a possible flip, while Emily notices Kamilla is a threat playing in the middle. While Coach continues to confuse his tribe mates, Charlie and Mike agree that they'd prefer keeping him around in order to blindside someone else, potentially.
Immunity Challenge: First place goes to Vinaka, which gives them their flint back. Bula earns second, but Mana comes in last—losing their flint for the first time—after Coach slowed down the tribe significantly.
While the women are all on board to vote out Coach, he tries to rally people to vote for anyone else. Charlie, Christian, and Mike throw out Stephenie's name while Charlie and Aubry come together to form a secret alliance.
Jeff starts Tribal Council with the age-old question: "At this point in the game, do you cut the weakest link or the biggest threat?" Coach preaches that he's made the right bonds in a game of honor, but Aubry retorts, "The minute you feel safe, you're probably the target."
Three votes for Coach. Four votes for Stephenie.
Stephenie LaGrossa Kendrick is the third person voted out of AI Survivor 50.
The Mana tribe comes home after Tribal Council where Coach sits next to the fire, whispering, "The Dragon Slayer lives another day." The next morning, Christian stumbles upon a Beware Advantage that instructs him to complete a separate task during the next immunity challenge without being noticed to earn a hidden idol.
The morale over at Bula is higher after two days avoiding Tribal Council, but Angelina is confusing everyone by pitching moves without necessity. Meanwhile, Devens finds a bamboo scroll on Vinaka beach, which leads him to a fake idol kit.
Immunity Challenge: Christian successfully earns a hidden immunity idol, but it only gains power once the tribes merge. Bula earns first place while Mana gets second and their flint back. Vinaka loses again.
Devens, on the chopping block, hides his fake idol at the water well. Jenna finds it, but quickly determines it's fake, enlisting Joe to help her pretend it's real and use it to send Devens home. Genevieve considers working with Devens and starts hinting at a Joe blindside.
At Tribal Council, Jeff asks the players if any of them are concerned about being the "easy vote." Devens enforces that, "sometimes the easy vote is the wrong vote."
One vote for Joe. Six votes for Devens.
Rick Devens is the fourth person voted out of AI Survivor 50.
After Vinaka's Tribal Council, Cirie is feeling confident that there have been four players eliminated and no blood on her hands so far. Angelina is unknowingly keeping herself on the outs of the Bula tribe. Coach is still unpredictable over at Mana, but Mike quietly suggests to Dee that Aubry is a bigger threat in the long run. She agrees, but doesn't think it's time to act yet.
Immunity Challenge: Vinaka gets back their flint after winning first place. Mana takes second and Bula loses the challenge and flint when Angelina knocks over the puzzle by accident.
Half the Bula tribe is pushing for Angelina, while the other half is considering blindsiding Chrissy. The deciding vote falls to Kamilla.
At Tribal Council, Jeff asks if it's easy to tell who's playing from the top and who's sitting at the bottom. After an intense discussion, Angelina declares, "The people who talk the most about loyalty are often the least loyal."
Two votes for Angelina. Five votes for Chrissy.
Chrissy Hofbeck is the fifth person voted out of AI Survivor 50.
With Kamilla flipping in the last Tribal Council, Emily is now at the bottom of Bula. Joe, on the outs of Vinaka, overcompensates by working extra hard to provide comfort to his tribe mates at camp. Dee and Aubry are pushing for Coach to be next to go from Mana, but Charlie, Christian, and Mike like having him as a shield.
Immunity Challenge: Mana secures first place, Vinaka takes second. Bula gets last place, remains without flint and goes back to Tribal Council.
Emily pulls aside Ozzy and Colby to try and convince them to flip on Angelina. Kamilla and S49 #2 debate whether they should stick with the plan to vote out Emily or flip again and take out Angelina as well.
The first tribe to go to Tribal Council twice in a row, Jeff harps on whether it's harder to lose fire or lose trust in this game. Emily argues, "Depends on who's trying to sell you the trust."
Two votes for Emily. Four votes for Angelina.
Angelina Keeley is the sixth person voted out of AI Survivor 50.
Early game elimination recap
1. Jonathan Young (Day 2)
2. Q Burdette (Day 3)
3. Stephenie LaGrossa Kendrick (Day 4)
4. Rick Devens (Day 5)
5. Chrissy Hofbeck (Day 6)
6. Angelina Keeley (Day 7)
As a tribe swap shakes things up, our players are more determined than ever to make it a few more days to the merge. Who will earn the merge buff and who will be sent home before making it to the jury?
Follow along for a day-by-day summary of AI Survivor 50 and see if you can predict what happens next!