in
Samoa. Immediately following his vote out on
Survivor: Australia V The World on 18 August 2025,
David Genat was announced as the new host, replacing
Jonathan LaPaglia, who had hosted the series since its revival in 2016. At the same time, the season’s title and its return to filming in Samoa were revealed. Filming was already underway at the time of the announcement, and the season was confirmed to air in 2026. With a new host and new direction, this season has been marketed as the "New Era" of
Australian Survivor. The following day, Genat shared a behind-the-scenes video on social media, offering a sneak peek at one of the challenge sets. The premiere date was announced to be 23 February 2026. For the first time since
All Stars and for the fifth time overall (after
Australian Survivor 2002,
Australian Survivor 2017,
Australian Survivor: Champions V Contenders and
Australian Survivor: All Stars), the season featured a final vote reveal and reunion show before a studio audience. The reunion was produced overlooking
Sydney Harbour at the
Overseas Passenger Terminal in Sydney. ==Contestants==