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. One such example is in *Survivor: Kalahari*, where one tribe had ten members while the other tribe had eight. The switch evened the tribes out with nine members each.

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. In *Survivor: New Zealand*, because Exile Island was not in play in a three-tribe dissolve into two tribes, the extra person was instead sent to Summoners Rift.

## 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

### *Bahamas*

* Type: Shuffle

On Day 9, each castaway chose one covered buff on a tray, indicating their new tribe. Miss picked a package containing no buff, and she was sent to exile where she lived on Exile Island until the next Tribal Council, where she would replace the person voted out.

 Miss

### *Kalahari*

#### Switch #1

* Type: Shuffle

 Dennis, Ebony, Joaquin, Keke, Malika, Ocean, Pierce, Rachel, Tea

#### Switch #2

* Type: Shuffle

 Frogi, Joaquin, Keke, Malika, Nasir, Ocean, Pierce

### *Jan Mayen*

* Type: Shuffle

 Jared, Kebab, Lawson, Liz, Lumi, Marilyn, Stasia

### *New Zealand*

* Type: Disbanding

On Day 8, Rotorua was disbanded, and each castaway chose one box on a tray, containing a buff which would indicate their new tribe. Yoka picked a package containing no buff, and she was sent to exile where she lived on Summoners Rift until the next Tribal Council, where she would replace the person voted out.

 Yoka

### *El Salvador*

#### Switch #1

* Type: Shuffle

On Day 9, the 16 remaining castaways were informed that there would be a switch. Each castaway chose one box on one of two trays, containing a buff indicating which new tribe they would be on.

 Adore, Alexa, Brandon, Cleo, Dallas, Kamari, Kiani, Spen

#### Switch #2

* Type: Shuffle

On Day 18, the remaining castaways were met another switch, each castaway chose one box on a tray, containing a buff which would indicate their new tribe.

 Alison, Ben, Kamari, Kiani, Sonic, Spen

### *Okinawa — All-Stars*

#### Switch #1

* Type: Shuffle

The season featured a tribe switch on Day 14 when there were 18 castaways left. Each castaway was asked to take one bamboo tube from a tray which contained a buff determining to which tribe the castaway would belong.

 Abhay, Ben, Kalynn, Luigi, Marilyn, Nasir

#### Switch #2

* Type: Shuffle

 Adore, Bright, Kalynn, Stasia, Veronica

### *Jordan*

#### Switch #1

* Type: Shuffle

 Carl, Chiquita, Clink, Dream, Ebony, Jadyn, Lala, Sharkie

#### Switch #2

* Type: Shuffle

 Carl, Jadyn, Laila, Lala, Nicki, Sharkie, Thomas

### *Con Dao*

* Type: Disbanding

On Day 13, Hoi An was disbanded, and each castaway was randomly shuffled into two new tribes.

 Bart, Gracie, Hugo, Kacey, Mikeal, Panda, Ty