Survivor: Ghost Island

Survivor: Ghost Island is the thirty-sixth season of Survivor.

Production
The season was filmed in the summer of 2017, only a few weeks after filming for wrapped. It followed the same filming schedule that was used for and.

Notable non-playable relics found on include snuffers (all of which Jeff Probst kept as souvenirs), tribal Immunity Idols, and individual Immunity Necklaces from past seasons. Some props that were previously auctioned off for charity were bought back by production.

Twists/Changes

 * : The tribe that wins a Reward Challenge gets the opportunity to banish one member from the losing tribe to Ghost Island, a variant of that is adorned with authentic props from past seasons, some of which are actual unplayed Hidden Immunity Idols and advantages that can be played this season. To obtain a relic, inhabitants must first smash an urn to earn the right to play a game of chance. Winning the game earns them the advantage. So far, the relics that are in play are:


 * Sierra Dawn Thomas's Legacy Advantage from (obtained on Ghost Island).
 * Andrea Boehlke's unplayed Hidden Immunity Idol from  (obtained at the Naviti camp).
 * One of James Clement's unplayed Hidden Immunity Idols from (obtained at the Malolo camp).
 * The fake Hidden Immunity Idol Ozzy Lusth created in, which is now repurposed as a playable idol (obtained at the Malolo camp).
 * Sarah Lacina's Vote Steal, from Game Changers, which for this season is simply an Extra Vote (obtained on Ghost Island).
 * The individual Immunity Necklace from Micronesia that Erik Reichenbach infamously gave away before being voted out. This item is now repurposed as a Hidden Immunity Idol (obtained at the Yanuya camp).
 * J.T. Thomas's unplayed Hidden Immunity Idol from Game Changers, which is initially usable only at the immediate Tribal Council, but can have its shelf life can be extended by up to five times via a game of chance (obtained on Ghost Island).
 * Scot Pollard's and Tai Trang's idols from, which effect differs, as when they are combined, they form a normal Hidden Immunity Idol instead of a Super Idol (obtained at the Lavita camp).
 * Meager Supplies: For this season, tribes will only be supplied with a machete, pot, a fishing kit, and a supply of rice cut in half from the minimum the medical team allots for the castaways.
 * Tribe Leader: Shortly after entering the game, both tribes will select a leader, who will in turn choose two people, one athletic and one puzzle solver, for an immediate Reward Challenge.
 * Tribe Switch: On Day 7, the eighteen remaining castaways were spread across two tribes of nine.
 * Tribe Expansion: On Day 15, a second tribe switch introduced a third tribe, ​​​​, spreading the fifteen remaining players across three tribes of five.
 * Early Merge: The merge occurred with thirteen players remaining.
 * Double Elimination: At one point, Lavita was subjected to a double elimination, where two castaways would be eliminated after two rounds of voting.
 * Simplified Final Four Tribal Council: Instead of a traditional vote, the person who wins the final four Immunity Challenge will get to choose one person to take with them to the Final Three. The remaining two castaways would compete in a fire-making challenge to determine who would be eliminated.

Trivia

 * This is the first season since to have a cast of new castaways divided randomly into tribes.
 * With this season, sets the record for the most used location of the whole US Survivor franchise, with five seasons filmed in the country, following, , , and.
 * This season also ties the record set with the  for the longest consecutive use of a location, both locations being used four times.
 * This the first season since to have a Tribe Switch occur with 18 castaways in the game, and result in two tribes of nine.