Survivor Season 49 is finally here, bringing new twists, high-stakes strategy, and the same grueling challenges fans have loved for decades. Set against a stunning and remote backdrop, the latest season introduces three fresh tribes, each filled with ambitious castaways ready to outwit, outplay, and outlast their competition. Here’s what to know about the three tribes before the premiere, including the tribe fans think will be a “disaster” from the start.

Here are the ‘Survivor’ Season 49 tribes at the start of the season

Survivor Season 49 introduces 18 diverse and dynamic castaways, each bringing unique skills and backgrounds to the Mamanuca Islands in Fiji. Among them is Kimberly “Annie” Davis, a 49-year-old musician from Austin, Texas, known for her bold, risk-taking personality and her role as the frontwoman of the band Trashy Annie. Another standout is Michelle “MC” Chukwujekwu, a wellness specialist from Sachse, Texas, who brings a calm and strategic approach to the game. Also competing is Savannah Louie, a former KENS 5 reporter from San Antonio, Texas, who emphasizes the authenticity of the Survivor experience and contrasts it with her journalism career.

The cast also features a Marvel producer, a NASA engineer, and several Canadians, adding to the international flair of the season. Notably, Michelle “MC” Chukwujekwu and Jason Treul were originally alternates but were brought into the game hours before it began after two contestants were removed due to pre-game rule violations.

Here’s the breakdown of each tribe, according to Parade.

Hina tribe (yellow): 
Steven Ramm, 35, rocket scientist
Kristina Mills, 36, MBA career coach
Matt Williams, 52, airport ramp agent
Sophie Segreti, 31, strategy associate
Michelle “MC” Chukwujekwu, 29, fitness trainer
Jason Treul, 32, law clerk

Kele tribe (blue):
Alex Moore, 27, political comms director
Kimberly “Annie” Davis, 49, musician
Jake Latimer, 36, correctional officer
Jeremiah Ing, 39, global events manager
Nicole Mazullo, 26, financial crime consultant
Sophi Balerdi, 27, entrepreneur

Uli tribe (red):
Nate Moore, 47, film producer
Savannah Louie, 31, former reporter
Rizo Velovic, 25, tech sales
Shannon Fairweather, 28, wellness specialist
Sage Ahrens-Nichols, 30, clinical social worker
Jawan Pitts, 28, video editor

‘Survivor’ Season 49 fans think the blue Kele tribe is in trouble

Survivor fans are divided on how they feel about the “New Era” gameplay. Every season, many viewers complain that one tribe is on the outs immediately, and they never seem to recover until the tribes are disbanded at the merge. Given the format of Survivor Season 49, this isn’t slated to change. And many fans suspect the Kele tribe will be the initial “disaster tribe” at the start.

“Blue tribe will probably be a mess,” a fan on Reddit commented.

“Blue is giving disaster tribe,” another fan wrote.

“Kele will be the disaster tribe,” yet another fan guessed, later mentioning the Reba tribe from season 45. “Hina will mesh well and seem really likable. Uli will run things and possibly be the next Reba.”

Jeff Probst discussed how the cast this season differs from the past

Jeff Probst has witnessed every Survivor cast from the beginning. When it comes to season 49, he noted that the cast members are bringing the wisdom from what they’ve seen in the past. This makes this new cast “slightly evolved.”

“When Rizo and Shannon and Savannah and Jawan and Kristina all get out there this season, they have their own take on the game, but they’re also bringing 48 seasons of history of what has worked, what hasn’t worked, what they should encounter, what they should expect to encounter,” Probst shared with The Hollywood Reporter. “That’s what makes it unique — that they’re playing with more history than the previous group had, and therefore, maybe it’s a slightly more evolved group every time.”

Survivor Season 49 premieres on Wednesday, Sept. 24, at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.