Survivor Host Jeff Probst Drops Bombshell: The Type of Players He Wants for Season 50! – Fans Furious: ‘It’s Not Good!

When Survivor staged its epic all-champions edition for season 40, the theme was right there in the title: Winners at War. The installment was billed as an intense battle of the best. But as the franchise peeks ahead for its landmark 50^th season, which will be filming in spring of 2025, there is a different approach taking place behind the scenes when it comes to both the show’s casting and creative elements.

“Imagine you have just an empty whiteboard and you can write anything you want on it,” host and showrunner Jeff Probst tells Entertainment Weekly about the approach to Survivor 50. “The first word that came to me was celebrate. And that’s important to me because that’s going to guide us into our creative. We want fans to be happy. We want this to be a celebration.”

Sign up for Entertainment Weekly‘s free daily newsletter to get breaking news, exclusive first looks, recaps, reviews, interviews with your favorite stars, and more.

And the celebration theme also extends into picking the players to compete. Probst already announced that they will be bringing contestants back for the first time since season 40 — unless you count Bruce Perreault, who got a do-over after being medically evacuated just minutes into Survivor 44 — and he elaborates to EW on what type of returnee they are looking for.

“We want players who are also excited to be on it,” Probst explains. “This is not Winners at War. It doesn’t mean we don’t want players who are going to play hard. Of course we do. But it means we’re also big-picture trying to celebrate 25 years, and that means joyful players who are in a good mood and want to play. We’re not looking for disgruntled players looking to settle a score. We’re looking for players who want a second chance, who have something to prove to themselves.”

Probst’s ideal is a special season that producers, players, and fans can all celebrate from different vantage points. “So how do you do that in a way that’s fun, that includes the fans, that has the players that all the fans want to see, and will still give you the opportunity for another great season of Survivor?” Probst asks. “So celebration is the first word, and that equals joy. I’m looking for those moments that are going to be really fun and really funny.”

Of course, the 600+ former Survivor contestants have not been shy about expressing their desire to get that golden ticket back to the island. While none have taken to flying banners over the host’s house… yet… many have been out there promoting themselves on social media and trying to uncover information in terms of who else may be under consideration.

“The players are excited, and we like that,” Probst acknowledges. “There’s no issue with a player being excited or trying to find out if there is information. That’s a good sign. It says you want it, so we welcome that. What I would say back to any player that is curious or thinking about it is just remember that a big part of Survivor 50, or any great season of Survivor, is a little secrecy. So read into that whatever you want, but what I would have to say for players who want to be on 50 is to keep that in mind.”

While Probst won’t get into creative specifics for Survivor 50, noting that, “We’re looking for excitement, and part of that excitement is that a season needs to have some secrecy around it,” he also assures viewers that a lot of thought has been going into the effort for an installment that won’t even air until 2026. “While it’s fun to talk about 50, I don’t want to give anything away, because it’s a long way away. But I can promise Survivor fans, it is top of mind for us, and we are going to do our very best to make it a great season that will satisfy them.”