Tribe Switch

A **tribe switch** is a game-changing twist of *Survivor*. This twist sends members from one tribe to the rival tribes and vice versa.

## About

The tribe switch is a twist that can happen at any specific point during the game. This reassignment of tribes is effective until the tribes merge or a new opportunity to switch tribes occurs (e.g. a mutiny or a second switch.) This is denoted by contestants wearing a newly-supplied buff in the color of their new tribe. They then drop their old buff on the ground and start wearing the new one.

Normally, a switch would send half of the members of a tribe to the other when both tribes have an equal number of members, although this has changed over the years.

If the number of remaining contestants is irregular, the odd person out may be sent to Exile Island. There, they will wait until a tribe votes out a member. They will then become a member of that tribe, resulting in each tribe having equal numbers.

## Classifications

A tribe switch could be classified as one or more of several types:

* Shuffle - A shuffle happens where each tribe could have a different number of new members. Many times, however, the number of castaways coming from a particular gender is considered, making sure each new tribe has good gender balance. A shuffle is usually a random draw, if not systematic. Among Survivor fans, all tribe switches are commonly referred to as "swaps" regardless of the specific type.
* Disband - Typically a variation of the shuffle, it happens when a tribe gets dissolved, then a shuffle is done to put the castaways on the remaining tribes.
* Expansion - An expansion happens if an auxiliary tribe is introduced in a two-tribe season. Typically, a shuffle is then done after.

## Twist History

### *Jurassic World*

#### Switch #1

* Type: Expansion

On Day 7, a tribe switch took place, introducing a third tribe named Kenta. Each castaway chose one covered buff on one of two trays, indicating which tribe they would be on. Kenta would have to move to a new camp with the same supplies as Day 1.

#### Switch #2

* Type: Disbandment

On Day 14 of the game, the Kenta tribe was disbanded, and each castaway chose one covered buff on a tray, indicating their new tribe. HamIIet picked a package containing no buff, and he was sent to exile until the next Tribal Council, where he would replace the person voted out.

### *Land of Aruba*

#### Switch #1

* Type: Disbandment

On Day 7, O'rino was disbanded, and each castaway chose one covered buff on a tray, indicating their new tribe.

 AJ, Cillian, Dream, Harry, Hugo, Shane, Taka, Vio, Wesley

#### Switch #2

* Type: Expansion

On Day 16, a tribe switch took place, resurrecting the O’rino tribe. Each castaway chose one covered buff on one of two trays, indicating which tribe they would be on.

 Alexa, Dre, Dream, Spen, Vio

### *Jumanji*

#### Switch #1

* Type: Shuffle

The season featured a tribe switch on Day 8 when there were sixteen castaways still in the game (one more was on Desperation Island). Each castaway was asked to take one bamboo tube from a tray which contained a buff determining to which tribe the castaway would belong.

 Ashley, Ebony, Liam, Lloyd, Nathan, Shanelle, Tau, Wesley

#### Switch #2

* Type: Shuffle

On Day 13, the remaining fourteen active players were met another switch while two castaways were on Desperation Island. Each castaway chose one box on a tray, containing a buff which would indicate their new tribe.

 Jennie, Liam, Nathan, Quinn, Ray, Shanelle, Waylon

### *Skull Island*

#### Switch #1

* Type: Shuffle

On Day 9, a tribe switch took place. Each castaway chose one covered buff on one of two trays, indicating which tribe they would be on. Whitebiblestudygirl picked a package containing no buff, and they were sent to Skull Island until the next Tribal Council, where they would replace the person voted out.

 Aubrey

#### Switch #2

* Type: Expansion

On Day 14, a tribe switch took place, adding a third tribe named Bayon into the mix. Each castaway chose one covered buff on one of two trays , indicating which tribe they would be on. Bayon would have to move to a new camp with the bare essentials.

 Brian, Kase, Nicky G., Nicki, Sadd