The two mystery players from season 49 who were cast on Survivor 50 have officially been revealed.
During the Wednesday, December 17, finale of Survivor 49, it was revealed that Savannah Louie and Rizo “Rizgod” Velovic would be competing on the upcoming 50th season. In the first look at the upcoming season, Savannah, 32, and Rizo, 26, were shown on the boat with the entire cast.
“We chose you to represent 25 years of the greatest adventure on television,” host Jeff Probst told the players as they made it to the beaches of Fiji. “And the only thing we want in exchange for giving you this spot is — everything.”
Both Savannah and Rizo were fan favorites of season 49 and made it to the final five. Savannah was crowned the season 49 winner while Rizo was eliminated following the final four firemaking challenge.
It was also teased that Mr. Beast and Zac Brown would be making appearances on the season while teasing that celebrity superfans Billie Eilish and Jimmy Fallon might have an impact on the game.
Earlier this year, Jeff revealed the official cast for Survivor 50 during a May appearance on CBS Mornings. While reading the names, Jeff teased that two players from season 49 made the cut. At the time of the reveal, Survivor 49 had not aired yet, so the players’ identities were kept secret.
In addition to Savannah and Rizo, the Survivor 50 cast includes White Lotus creator Mike White, who previously competed on Survivor: David vs. Goliath, and two former winners, Dee Valladares and Kyle Fraser. Several repeat players are also returning at a shot for redemption including Cirie Fields, Jenna Lewis-Dougherty, Colby Donaldson, Stephenie LaGrossa Kendrick, Ozzy Lusth, Benjamin “Coach” Wade and Aubry Bracco.
Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers’ Chrissy Hoffback, David vs. Goliath’s Christian Hubicki and Angelina Keely, Edge of Extinction’s Rick Devens, Survivor 42’s Jonathan Young, Survivor 45’s Emily Flippen, Survivor 46’s Q Burdette, Tiffany Nicole Ervin and Charlie Davis, Survivor 47’s Genevieve Mushaluk and Survivor 48’s Kamilla Karthigesu and Joe Hunter will also be getting a second chance at the game.
During a season 49 episode in November, Jeff told the players that there were spots “up for grabs” on Survivor 50 — which could go to any of them. He later explained his reasoning for being upfront with the new cast.
“I wanted to make sure that these players knew you are not just the season before 50. You are the 49th season of Survivor and you have a shot to be on 50 just like anybody else who has ever played Survivor,” he said during his “On Fire” podcast. “The other reason was, it was a bit of a litmus test because to be on 50 you really have to make your mark.”
Savannah and Rizo both made a mark on the game. Savannah proved herself as a challenge beast as she won several individual immunity challenges. Rizo, for his part, found a hidden immunity idol at the start of the game and was able to hold onto it for the majority of the game.
Ahead of the season 49 finale, Jeff teased what fans can expect from season 50.
“I don’t want to sound like a hype machine, but I’m genuinely excited for people to see the trailer because it really lays out how different Survivor 50 is from anything we’ve ever done,” he told The Hollywood Reporter on Tuesday, December 16. “It gives you a sense of the scale, the vibe, the unpredictability, all the things that make 50 feel like its own event. It captures the energy we’ve been building toward for a long time.”
One new twist for season 50 was letting the fans vote on different mechanisms of the game. Before season 49 aired, fans got to make their voices heard as they voted on different elements including keeping or removing the controversial final four fire making challenge, bringing back the live reunion show and more. The results of the fans’ vote will be revealed when season 50 debuts next year.
Survivor 50 premieres on CBS February 25, 2026, at 8 pm ET.
Read the full article here