On Season 40 of CBS’s Emmy-winning reality show Survivor, previous winners compete in Fiji for the title of Sole Survivor and a two-million-dollar prize.

In May of 2000, the world saw the very first season. Watching castaways overcome mental and physical obstacles on a remote island for 39 days became a huge hit for reality television.

Fast forward twenty years and forty seasons later, on February 12, the first episode of “Winners at War” premiered and showcased twenty castaways who are vying for the prize once again. 

Every player on season 40 has won a previous season. And as a bonus, many of these players are fan-favorites and Survivor legends. 

One notable fan-favorite is the only two-time winner – Sandra. Sandra, or “The Queen” (as she calls herself) is planning on using a new approach in the strategic aspect of the game. According to a CBS interview, Sandra says “I’m gonna switch it up from the usual ‘as long as it’s not me’ philosophy.”

Believe it or not, three players on Survivor 40 are representing Massachusetts! Jeremy Collins is a firefighter from Cambridge, Ethan Zohn is from Lexington, and Survivor legend “Boston” Rob is from (you guessed it)… Boston!

Jeremy won Season 31 and according to CBS, Jeremy says “I will add mind shields and social shields to give myself a broader pool of players to align myself with…”

In addition to the challenges and hidden immunity idols, there are two twists this season. 

One twist is The Edge of Extinction island, where castaways go after they are voted out of the game. On the island, players have a second chance to enter back into the game. 

Another twist is the Fire Token which is a form of currency. Players can collect and exchange Fire Tokens to receive items such as food, comfort, or most importantly, immunity idols which is a huge advantage. 

If the game sounds interesting, Survivor airs Wednesday nights at 8:00 on CBS.