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The “new era” of Survivor has brought many changes to the CBS reality competition series. Instead of a 39-day game span, the castaways only compete for 26 days, they have fewer resources, and producers have become twist-happy. While the show has experienced a few hiccups trying to figure out this new format, Survivor seems to be finally hitting its stride in season 44. And according to Survivor 44 spoilers, the producers have realized that one classic twist is greatly needed in the game.

[Spoiler alert: This article contains spoilers from Survivor 44.]

Jeff Probst, who previously confirmed the 'Survivor 44' showmance spoilers, wears a light gray button-up shirt with rolled-up sleeves and a black, white, and green 'Survivor' baseball cap.
Jeff Probst | Photo: Robert Voets/CBS

The ‘new era’ of ‘Survivor’ has yet to feature a tribe switch

Since Survivor 41, the original tribal makeups have remained unchanged until the merge. Seasons 41, 42, and 43 all began with three tribes, and host Jeff Probst never asked the castaways to “drop their buffs.”

However, tribe switches have been around since the show’s early seasons, and it keeps the game fresh and exciting. So it’s unclear why the producers threw out the classic twist for the “new era.”

The first tribe swap occurred in Survivor: Africa, aka season 3, when tree mail asked the two tribes to send three representatives to meet Probst. They were then shocked to learn that they would be switching tribes, so the three castaways from Boran would join Samburu and vice versa. And following season 3 through season 40, only eight seasons didn’t have a tribe swap.

Survivor fans haven’t seen this twist since Winners at War, but according to spoilers, it will return in season 44.

‘Survivor 44’ spoilers indicate the cast will undergo a tribe switch

We don’t usually 100 percent believe Survivor spoilers until they come to fruition on our screens. But one source who accurately submitted the bootlist for season 42 is trusted among the Survivor community, so we’re inclined to consider their season 44 spoilers as fact.

Fans can find the source’s leaks in a Survivor 44 spoilers document, which compiles spoilers from different Reddit threads. They revealed the winner, medevac(s), players who make it to the finale, and other important information, including a tribe swap in season 44.

So among the new twists in Survivor 44 (the idol birdcage, Inheritance Advantage, and Bank Your Vote Advantage), the tribal switch is returning. And we can’t wait to see how it affects the game.

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‘Survivor 44’ Proves CBS Needs to Make 1 Format Change to the Show

‘Survivor 44’ spoilers don’t reveal when the switch happens

Unfortunately, the Survivor 44 spoilers don’t go into much detail regarding the tribe swap. So we don’t know when it will happen or the makeup of the new tribes. Also, it’s unclear if the producers will keep it at three tribes or reduce it to two groups.

If we were to make an educated guess, we would say that the tribe switch will likely occur in episode 4. Since the merge in the “new era” typically happens after the sixth person leaves the game, a swap after the third person is voted out would give the castaways two or three Tribal Councils with their new tribes before merging.

So fans should keep an eye out for a swap in Survivor 44 Episode 4. But as for the outcome of the twist, that will be a surprise for everyone.

Survivor 44 airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.

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