After castaways failed ‘Sweat vs Savvy’ time and time again, Jeff Probst has an ‘Indiana Jones-esque’ trick up his sleeve for ‘Survivor 47’

Ever since Survivor returned with its “New Era” with Survivor 41 in 2021, brand new elements of the game were introduced, becoming staples for the last six seasons. While the lack of family visits, the switch from a 39-day game to a 26-day game, the “Shot in the Dark” and “Beware Advantages,” and more will remain intact, longtime host Jeff Probst announced that a major element of the game will be removed for Survivor 47, “Sweat vs Savvy,” ultimately shocking fans of the franchise.

For those who are unfamiliar, the two tribes who lose the marooning challenge on day one are typically required to compete in an additional challenge called “Sweat vs Savvy,” where the castaways must decide between participating in physical or mental challenge to earn their standard supplies: a pot, flint, and machete.

In an exclusive interview with Entertainment Weekly, longtime Survivor host Jeff Probst says that they have “evolved ‘Sweat vs Savvy’ into something a little different this season,” certain to shake up the game once and for all. Keep scrolling for the nitty gritty details…

According to Probst, the two losing tribes will still have to earn their standard supplies via a challenge on Survivor 47, however, said challenge is a “nice, fresh idea” that is “fun to watch [and] fun for the player to do.” He even described it as “Indiana Jones-esque” — how exciting is that?

“I think it’s one of those ideas that makes a kid want to play Survivor, because you watch this and you think, ‘I want to do that! It all looks fun. It’s kind of Indiana Jones-esque’ …Now, you as the player have to achieve the goal or you come back a failure, and one of the tenets of the ‘New Era,’ if you really examine it thoroughly, is that it’s always a player’s choice of what they want to do.”

The “New Era” of Survivor is all about taking risks, exemplified by the journeys, the “Shot in the Dark” and “Beware Advantages,” and more. It is safe to say that this new and improved version of “Sweat vs Savvy” will follow suit, with Probst teasing that it will be a high-risk, high-reward challenge that we will not want to miss.

Survivor fans, we will just have to wait and see what replaces “Sweat vs Savvy” on Survivor 47, but it is safe to say that we will be waiting on the edge of our seats until further notice. To see what other twists and turns are in store, Survivor 47 premieres September 18 via CBS — with new episodes to follow each and every Wednesday — so be sure to mark your calendars!