Jeff Probst Says 'Survivor 50' Won’t Be a 'Gentle Season' (Exclusive)

With just days left before the big Survivor 50 premiere, longtime host Jeff Probst is making one thing clear: the returning veterans came to play. "I don’t think it’s going to be a gentle season," he exclusively told Men’s Journal while on set in Fiji where the series is filmed.

Despite the celebratory nature of the 50th installment, the Emmy winner noted that once the cameras started rolling, the sentimentality was quickly overtaken by a competitive energy. "There were tears, there was a reverence, there was appreciation, there was respect for each other, and there was also this desire to play," he said just hours after the game began.

Executive producer Matt Van Wagenen agreed, noting that the "New Era" pace leaves zero room for pleasantries. "There have to be stakes," Van Wagenen told MJ. "In 26 days… there’s gonna be some bloodbaths. We’re gonna get some blindsides."

The cast features 24 players spread across over two decades of the show, including Season 1 and 8 veteran Jenna Lewis-Dougherty, who Van Wagenen believes is a massive threat. “She said to me, ‘I was playing a New Era game back in Season 8 and people didn’t appreciate it,’” he recalled. “I am all in on watching her play. I think she could pull it off.”

With that many players squeezed into a 26-day format, the margin for error is essentially nonexistent. “I didn’t sleep well last night. I was super nervous,” Van Wagenen admitted. “I think it’s the expectations.”

While the gameplay is expected to be ruthless, the season is still leaning into its 25-year history. Longtime challenge producer John Kirhoffer confirmed the season kicks off with a nod to the show’s origins. “This season, we were naming our challenges after iconic moments,” Kirhoffer told Men’s Journal. “It was called ‘Quest for Fire’… because our first challenge ever was called ‘Quest for Fire.’ That was 100 percent not by accident.”

For Kirhoffer, who has been with the series since day one, the milestone is also personal. “I remember very, very vividly at the end of Season 1 thinking, ‘Please God, just one more.’”

For Probst, the milestone triggered a moment of reflection on his own 25-year journey. “I realize the adventure you’re on is actually your own,” the host said. “I find it incredibly rewarding to come out and work with this team. We all run the show.”

Survivor 50 premieres on CBS Wednesday, Feb. 25 at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

Related: 'Survivor' Legend Rob Cesternino Ranks His Top 10 Favorite Episodes of All Time (Exclusive)