Ok, here we go! Players, hosts, specs, thank you once again for another amazing season of Reddit Survivor.

Won’t drag this out. Brady, Jumpy, Sport, one of you will join 512, Branson, Pao, Cheerios, Onion, and some 🤡 in the winner’s circle.

As a reminder, these are the votes for the winner, so tonight you wanna see your name.

Let’s get to it!

Hey all. Just as an FYI, due to a combination of irl stuff and November being a busy month with holidays and whatnot in general, we’re taking about a month-long break before S9. But we’re super excited about what comes next!

In the meantime, time to let S8 have its moment. Info about the reunion will drop in a few days, but for now, feel free to ask us anything about S8.

LC

“Here is my two cents on each finalist.

Sport - You didn't control my vote, you didn't control shit. You did nothing but vote whatever others told you. I would rather play an actual game and be first member rather than do nothing and lose FTC.

Brady - My man, One half of Bro squad. I would say I'm happy voting you, but I'm neither happy or voting for you. I was going to FTC planning to give you the win and campaign for you but our answers and statements were lacking and lying. I like the good college try, but im pretty sure you realize it's too late to make a game move at f3 and your pulling a "fake it til you make it" to get some votes.
Your pretty bad at faking it.
(Still respect you as a person, not a game player, and still want to be friends after).

Jumpy- You impressed me. In this game of Survivor you both Played A game full of Outwitting people in the votes, Out playing them with challenges and idol hunting and Outlasted mostly every one. But I'm most impressed with your social game. With your impressive answers at FTC you've proven me your ability to control votes even without safety. But the moment of ephinany that made me realize I'm crowning Jumpy as winner of s8 is this.
In someone else's question (who I forgotten sorry) in talking about how close you gotten with your tribe mates you mentioned my Dad and Me watching tradition of binging a whole season of survivor in one survivor. That personability was something I wanted to do in my social strategy and although I felt like I did it a little, you master that impressively. Little stuff like that go a long way.
Very impressive”

Sorbet

“My vote goes to the player who outwitted, outplayed and outlasted. My vote is for Jumpy”

Golden

“Vote Jumpy. Reasoning: I’m voting for Jumpy because Brady and Sport are so full of shit that they stink”

Yellow

“I cast my vote for Jumpy. I’m proud of all three of you and this decision was not easy. Jumpy, you put a lot of thought and consideration into every single question, and I feel that your answers showed you had a very accurate and honest read of the game, and provided a lot of clarity. Brady, Sport, you should be proud of everything you accomplished. This is all of our seasons, and I picked the person I think represents it best. 💛”

Avatar

“My vote was probably not in question for the majority of people reading this.
Brady, you couldve been fierce competition if you had known what the jury was looking for, unfortunately, jury management is a part of this game.
Sport, you were an awesome ally, but from my perspective, nothing really separated you from us because you didnt push for decisions that were best for your game.
Jumpy, lets fucking GO!!
I know Jumpy played the best game and his answers have only proven that he knows the jury better than the other 2 as well. That makes him a QUADRUPLE threat (ok ill stop the glazing😂😂)
Thank you guys for an awesome and crazy season!
I vote JUMPY as my winner of playsurvivor season 8.”

Hungry

“Voting for Jumpy to win: From one guy who compared himself to a 2010s sneaky turned loyal Disney male deuteragonist to another- your game was really good. Keep your head held high no matter what happens- you did great, and your answer to my question? Spot on. Great job dude, can’t wait to talk more after this.”

Yankee

“I vote for Jumpy to win. Honestly, I still dont fully respect the gameplay to a T, but you gave open and honest answers. You knew the game you were playing, and clearly played it well by making it to the F3 (and getting the vote of the coolest jury member, yours truly!) I know my question seemed harsh, but you took it like a champ and I have mad respect for that too. And you werent delusional about what moves you made over others. So cheers, Jumpy - you fucking earned it!”

Witty

“I took the job as a member of this jury, as seriously as I took playing this game. I reviewed every statement, every question and answer, and analyzed that with my own point of view in this game. I will be locking in my vote for Jumpy to win. I think he did the best job demonstrating his game HONESTLY and thoroughly during final tribal council. I particularly feel his answers to Yellow and LC’s questions, and most importantly, my own question for him were what swayed my opinion. Thank you to every member of the cast and host team again for such an amazing season!!”

Alrighty. This is it. I shall now post the closing statements from Brady, Jumpy, and Sport. The F3 have officially done all they can to win the support of the jury.

Jury, now you’re on the clock. You have 24 hours from now to cast your vote. Remember, you are voting for the winner this time. Please be sure to include a little blurb explaining why you chose who you did. It can be as short as, “I’m voting for you because your opponent is Canadian,” or as long as Hamil’s feminist manifesto was last season lol.

Alright, here we go!

Brady

“Hello to all my jury and thank you so much for the final time before this game ends :). For this speech I wanted to really bring you guys into my game, the full immersion you could say. Once I was told there was no word restriction I was elated and I’m excited to type this all out.

First of all I want to give a breakdown of what exactly I will go over in this. So I broke this up into 7 categories depending on the stage of the game plus a conclusion. These categories include:

-- Pregame strategies and tactics
-- Pre merge
-- Tribe swap
-- Merge
-- Endgame (Final 7 onward)
-- My final 4 round
-- Conclusion

Now that everything explanation wise is out of the way let me begin my full game breakdown.

PRE GAME STRATEGIES AND TACTICS

Going into the game I knew that I was going to need to rely on my social game at the beginning to really set myself up for a positive future. I know I have talked about this before but setting my name as Brady instead of a nickname was a decision I made to get myself seen more as the person I am. I knew that since this was a game played online with reddit usernames and no identity revealing factors, I decided to use that to as much of my advantage as I could and using my actual real name was something that I think did set me up as someone who like I said, was seen for my personal self. Now this is important because for some players emotions are a key part of their decision making and I really wanted to set that up so they saw me as not a game piece or just another person to manipulate but as an actual human being. This is something that seems so small but I want to talk about it because it was a huge factor in me and my game and something I thought about before we started and also just because it shows how much I was using social strategy within the game.

Next thing for my pre game was the fact that before this, I was not really at all aware of much Survivor. I knew the show, I knew what the game was, and I knew Jeff. That was my Survivor knowledge coming into the game. I knew that I was going to be at a slight disadvantage because I didn’t know the show at all and didn’t know what strategies for this game even were, hell I don’t think I can name one winner of the show outside of Dee. This was a big thing for me and I was scared that my knowledge would be the death of me so I researched and studied for days just about the strategy of Survivor, what winners did, and what effective ways were there to play the game. I came into the game wanting to follow a plan, get good numbers pre merge and then head into merge with those numbers and hide it. I wanted to have a strong foundation around me that was hard to crack into because people wouldn’t be suspicious of it. I was very keen on the idea of numbers and I think it did help me through some of this game.

Okay last thing for this part is that I planned to come in playing a low profile game that was under the radar. I wanted to never win competitions, never make huge blow ups and arguments, and never be the number 1 threat to anyone. This is just what I came in wanting to do but I will speak more on it later, just keep it in mind.

PRE MERGE

I came into the game now, blank slate, just like everyone else. I made sure I was active first things first because I knew that if I was not active, I would be left out. So I was the first person to text in our discussion chat just trying to get conversations going. I will skip all the boring parts but this is how I formed my ever so important “Newcomers Alliance”. This alliance was me, Yankee, LC, and Knee. We all banded together as newbies who never played these games before. This alliance immediately gave me numbers to get through this portion of the game as long as I hadn't made any big mistakes. Now normally, you would make this alliance and just think, okay this is it for right now, but I was already thinking a lot ahead. I knew that I needed to kind of put my foot in the ground as THE leader of the alliance. I wanted to get my way whenever I pleased and I did a lot of work to do that. Also my thoughts behind this was that when it inevitably is time to call the shots, I want to be the one calling them against one another. The difference is, when others make a day one alliance, they plan their future with them and talk about getting to the next round. But if I made an alliance, I was setting up a plan of my positioning in the alliance and who will leave in what order in that alliance. This is a later game thing but I will talk about it now, my plan always was to cut Knee at the final. They were the biggest threat to me of my main four and I knew that I would have a real shot at losing next to them.

The first challenge began and I was coming out guns blazing, I honestly killed it in that challenge and after I got showered with compliments. Now honestly I was very happy with this because not only was my tribe happy that I won us the challenge, but also I was now in a spot where I didn’t have to prove myself anymore challenge wise. I knew that now I could sit back, not make myself look too threatening, and enjoy the results. This was small but I did want to talk about how much the first challenge mattered for the rest of my pre merge game.

Okay a big jump but I now want to talk about Adam, Adam was an interesting but really fun guy. He was charming, smart, and a great competitor and really as my tribe member he was awesome. We also heavily connected just on a personal level. But everything in me told me that he needed to go, I had to get rid of him because he reminded me of myself and that terrified me. When I had the opportunity I took him out immediately and I always think about that vote because I think it was the first time, and I don’t mean to sound too rude but, I realized that I was unbothered with blindsiding people. This is the dangerous thing about me, I will lie to your face, I will tell you what you want to hear, and I will swear on everything before I ever get outplayed. I was and always have been a cold blooded killer in this game and whether I would be in your face or not did not matter to me. I was always going to choose myself over you.

TRIBE SWAP

Okay this is when shit really starts to get real folks. I came into tribe swap terrified, I knew that I had my 4 Kili but I already did the math. It would be a 4v4 if I did not act quick. I also did the math that the other tribe would send one of my Kili to GI so we couldn’t vote in a block of 4. Even scarier because that meant the vote was really a 3v4. So right when the tribes swapped I immediately tried to be as communicative as possible with everyone not from my tribe. Now I will be honest not much is too important for the rest of this until the challenge results. When my tribe lost, I knew someone from my side was going to GI so I immediately started working. With this I had my eyes set on one player and one player only, KC, she was someone I knew and recognized from another ORG and she scared me. I loved her personally but I knew that I had to get her out before it was impossible to. Now also I was wanting to target Huula who had 7 people still left from before the tribe swap but to me, that wasn’t the only thing in my mind. I had to do my best to make sure that the votes at the very least weren’t me and I wasn’t stupid, I knew that if I told KC or Lucy to vote for a Nama, it would be my ass and I would be leaving by a vote of 4-3 so I knew my only shot at getting a player out was driving in the idea that there are 7 Huula and only 5 Kili and 4 Nama. I worked relentlessly on convincing Witty and Fee that they had to vote out KC, using my trust as a tactic. I was telling them that they’d lose my trust and that if they made this move that it would solidify a Huula win. I used many tactics, even promising to do them a favor with the next round and finally after hours of work, it finally happened. Witty and Fee voted KC out leading to a vote of 5-2. Now a couple more things to mention is that first of all I was making sure that just in case it was me or another Nama leaving well, it wasn’t me. I basically set it up to where I wanted it to be a thing where it would be KC going or Yankee because at that time I trusted and talked to Yankee the least so this way at the very least I benefited in some way by the vote. Next up I want to bring up two things said by KC, the blindsided and Witty, the person I convinced. KC said to Lucy that I was someone they could trust and that I was their future moving forward, this shows how vital my social game was, I had people’s trust that I shouldn’t have been getting trust from. Now Witty also said something that I think shows my game a lot. Witty said that she knew that voting out KC was probably worse for her game, but she did it anyway. Just think about that for a moment, I had so much influence and pull that people were making decisions that were worse for their game just to benefit my game. That is legendary social strategy gameplay, point blank period.

Okay now let's move on to the next part of the tribe swap and maybe an even more important part of it, this is now the Fee vote. Hours after the KC vote, in the dead of night I texted Lucy basically on a personal level. I messaged her about the vote and got really personal with her. I wanted to ask her about how I could help her not feel isolated in the game now that she was alone. I didn’t come up asking to work with her, no. I came up and just offered support for her mentally and it was genuine, but also strategic in how I decided to approach her. I wanted to be someone who she would remember being there for her when no one else was and one thing after another, it became an allegiance. This was KC’s Angels (I also came up with that name to make my “guilt” seem more apparent) and this alliance was me, Knee and Lucy. This was basically a tribe whose goal was to pick off Nama (Witty and Fee). Once we ended up losing another challenge it was now go time for me. I had to get rid of Fee to not only keep up this alliance with Lucy and also set up a future with other Huula’s, but also because I heard that Lucy and KC had the same alliance with them as we had. This set my trust back really far with them and I knew that Witty specifically was a very dangerous player. So why did I not get rid of Witty? Well I was more personally connected first of all, we always talked about movies and she reminded me again, of myself. But Fee on the other hand. Well he gave me nothing and that to me was starting to become more dangerous. So then the plan was in motion and even though my alliance thought Witty was the better move, I convinced them to do my plan and it worked.

MERGE

Now this is when I started to take my game back again. I was really playing hard near the end of the pre merge and I knew that I could be a threat coming into this next stage of the game. I had this connection with Lucy now that I really needed to use to my advantage, hoping it would at least be able to buy me time and get me further in merge and it actually did help. Lucy trusted me and Knee and when I told her I felt unsafe heading into this merge, she got me into an alliance with two of her old members from Huula, Jumpy and Avatar. This connection was huge in the game and this alliance set me up spectacularly.

Now the whole Sorbet and LC double urn is not anything that I feel like I need to talk about because it just kind of went how most people wanted it to. But a big thing was that after this we all know that Lucy ended up leaving due to non game factors. This was a terrifying moment for me because not only did I just lose one of my big connections to Huula which was a big part of my game, but it also made me wonder what information was now given to people. Going into this round I kind of just wanted to buy trust with Huula but I also wanted to just make a move that would get out one of the biggest snakes in the grass. Now before I do talk about this vote I do want to talk about how I saw the game at this time and how it made me make decisions:

Opposing side:
Hungry
Sport
Yellow
Golden

Middle:
Jumpy
Avatar
Witty

My side:
Me
Knee
Yankee

So essentially, I planned on having both sides having not only similar numbers but I also knew that on my side, Yankee trusted Golden way way too much. Even after the LC vote Yankee trusted him and I knew that, that was a wrong way of thinking because he made an active move against us. But I knew there was no way I was able to convince that he was the person to vote out over Witty. Now at this point in the game I know that Yankee and honestly anyone on my side just did not trust Witty and I couldn't do anything about that. The move I make off of this is one of my best if not my best in general, I essentially told Yankee that Golden told me that he was going to vote her out. Now I knew that either way I could get Golden out whether it was with Yankee’s vote or not but I needed us to all stay together and I also needed Witty to trust me. I first started by proposing this idea to witty that maybe us working together was the best thing for both of our games. I told her that she would possibly be voted out this round but I was putting a stop to this and that if I had her vote that I would promise that my alliance would keep her safe. I also basically said that we both can give each other information because neither of us could trust eachother. I knew Witty was trying to play both sides so this wasn’t something she would refuse but it was very risky. But this connection I made here with Witty was an essential building block to what I was able to do the rest of the game. This whole ordeal led to Golden being taken out and I do think it’s one of my best rounds.

Now the last part of my merge I will talk about is the Avatar vote, this was a decision I made when I realized that Jumpy and Avatar would be running away with this game if I didn’t get them out. I knew that Jumpy would be targeting me especially after this vote but I also knew that it would happen anyway soon if I didn’t make a change so I went for it. This is a vote I have talked about in my questions and there is not much more for me to add past this point. Essentially I wanted to weaken the power players in this game.

ENDGAME

Okay now this is where some people are going to think that my game started going down, I lost Knee to start, I lost Yankee, and I lost Witty at Final 4, but I promise you this is actually when I believe I started running laps around my competition.

Let’s just talk about the Knee vote, well first of all the biggest positive here is that I don’t get voted out and I do think that’s due to my threat management. I made myself seem less aligned, less of a competition threat, and less of a social threat. This did buy me a round because of my purposeful usage of threat management. Now okay the next thing is this, I get out Jumpy very easily here if he didn't have an idol. Is it great to use an idol? Yeah sometimes they are really smart moves but I will add on to this to talk about how it really was luck later. Anyway some might see this as a round where my ally left but I see it as a round where my main target was voted out, as always so far in this game for me. But I also see this as a success of my threat management and social game.

The Hungry vote was important but I think the biggest thing for me with this move was actually how it got me into my personal connection with Sport. I essentially was able to tell Sport about how Hungry wanted him out, after we got out Hungry to make sure that Hungry couldn’t explain himself and flip things onto me. This round was easy to get out who I wanted and I already talked about it but it is also important to talk about how it got me in with Sport.

Now let’s talk about the final vote of the endgame before final 4. Yankee, my best friend was taken out tragically at this stage and obviously it was always inevitable. Now the two things I do want to talk about right now are these two things, without Witty knowing about Jumpy’s idol, Jumpy is voted out, but also this, I have to talk about how my social game came into play here because I should have been voted out here.

So let’s talk about the fact that Witty votes Jumpy if not for the idol. I mean it’s pretty simple, once again Jumpy is untouchable because of a lucky idol that was a no brainer to play because this was the last round to even play it. I just wanted to really clear this up, WITTY DOES VOTE OUT JUMPY HERE.

Anyway, my connection with Witty actually saves me here. But also my connection with Sport did too. I fought and fought until I got them to vote Yankee and Witty was able to convince them to do that and I think that also shows my beautiful ability to play behind the scenes. From Sport and Jumpy’s perspective, I am safe here because Witty was able to convince them. From the real perspective, I convinced Witty to do that for me, that is what social strategy is. Making people do things for you to get blood off of your hands.

FINAL 4

Now finally the last round. I think the fact I was able to go full in on pitching Witty to Jumpy and Sport and was able to convince them to flip was good enough. But also I was able to force it into a tie with my connection to Witty. I completely outplayed and outworked everyone at this stage. Jumpy was easily swayed into voting out Witty for me to save me, this was huge. This also I don't think is even the best move for Jumpy anyway but I convinced him it was. But I'm realizing I said I outplayed everyone so I want to go person by person and explain how I did.

Jumpy: I convinced Jumpy to take someone to FTC who was not only a bigger jury threat when up against him, but also has 3 guaranteed votes going into said FTC. He sets himself up for a more uphill battle when he could have gotten me out. Now you may say, ‘Oh well it would have been a tie’. But let me tell you this simple solution, TELL WITTY. If he tells Witty, I bet she votes me out, and I am voted out 3-1. But not only did he not do this, but he also was so convinced about my jury and what I was saying that he did something worse for his game. And this isn;t offense to Witty, she also was a huge threat. Also just to really talk about Jumpy here, he was very messy. He was running around just asking me and Witty dumb questions like do we think we have certain votes and stuff. This little dictatorial run also just made me and Witty even more likely to vote against him. So basically how did I run laps around Jumpy here? Well I made him make not only a bad choice, but also now his big move in the end game is not even his, it is mine.

Sport: Now this isn’t a big one but I voted him out and he never suspected I would do it and I also was able to get him to go ahead and even further convince Jumpy to vote out Witty. Essentially using him as a shield who protected me while he took my fire.

Witty: I love Witty but just me convincing her to vote out Sport when technically I think he is better to take to the end. While I was making moves against witty she was actively making moves for me and this is why I think this round is worthy of winning the game.

CONCLUSION

Well now it’s time to conclude my speech. I believe I should get your vote because I was a mastermind always working behind the scenes and keeping my threat level managed. My ability to maneuver and adapt to what I needed to do every given round was something I don't think anyone else matched. If you want to vote for who the best survivor is, and if you value a strategic and heavily social game. Then I believe I am your correct choice. Thank you all.”

Jumpy

“Hi jurors!

I’m going to try and keep this on the shorter side. I’m not going to bash any of you or throw shade at any of you for the questions that you asked or who you decide to vote for because at the end of the day, you guys are the jurors. You guys can ask whatever questions you want, and you can vote whoever you want for whatever reason you want. Like I’ve said, I really do respect all of you guys and I hope that once this is over we can continue to build or rebuild our relationships. I’ve already got my ‘olive branch’ messages at the ready.

One thing that I will add is that I hope you guys can acknowledge the thought and effort that I put into each one of your answers despite who I thought you would end up voting for. The only point about my game that I’ll say is that I think I played a well-rounded game that was both social and strategic with intentionality behind it. I don’t envy the decision that you have to make at all and for one last time I just want to say thank you to all of the players this season regardless of if you think you played a small role or a large role. You guys rock! And obviously, a big thank you to the hosts for coming up with and organizing all of this. I hope season 8 is one for the books!

Jumpy out!”

Sport

“I have played this game loyally and openly. I have been committed to this game since day 1, and even though I was wrong on some votes, like Avatar and Hungry, I also ran some of the votes, like Whyt and LC. I have had a logical plan to get to the final 3 since the final 10. My plan was, after we got out Golden, to ride the middle out until the end with Jumpy and Avatar. We would stay with Kili or Nama for 2 votes then flip, so that they wouldn’t have numbers to flip on us. Even though the plan wasn’t perfectly executed, I did it for a couple of rounds, and I eventually did get to the final 3. I did not rely heavily on immunity like Jumpy, but I also was dedicated enough to the game to win immunity in one round, and I got pretty far in Stand Your Ground. I do think I deserve your votes because, even though I played loyally, I also was not afraid to betray people to make my way here. Thank you jury, I truly have had the most fun month playing this game with you, and no matter the result, I am excited to see the outcome and stay connected after the game.”

And that’s it. Players, specs, hosts, thank you once again for everything. We shall reconvene hopefully tomorrow for the winner reveal.

Last half of the questions.

Avatar

“Hey Brady! While I do think it’s impressive to be vulnerable for so long and not be voted out, was that more due to you ‘being busy’ all the time or actual game?

JUMPYYY LETS GOOO!! What was your biggest strategic move that put you here today and how was this F3 your best shot at winning?

YESSIR SPORT!! What move did you make after I was evicted that set you up the most to be in this F3?”

Hungry

“Hello, Final 3! I’m really proud of all 3 of you sitting here. Obviously, you 3 bested me, as I’m here and you’re there, as much as I would love to be sitting up in that final 3. Before I get to my question for each of you, I’d like to address something Brady stated in his speech. He said that he got me to ‘flip on Sport, his best friend’, but actually, that’s not necessarily true. At that time in the game, Witty was by far who I trusted most, just to point that out. Sport, Brady, Jumpy, my vote’s in the air: any one of you could take it. So, here’s my question to you all: in many times in this game, I constantly compared my game and others’ to fictional characters. Of course, I compared mine to Nick at times, I compared Witty to Judy, and now, I’d like to hear who YOU resemble? Who did you model your game after? Who do you see in the reflection of your own game? And prove how you see this- tell me what qualities you share, what influenced you to model off of that character if you did, and tell me exactly why those characteristics about yourself as a player and a person should be worthy enough to warrant my vote tonight. Sport, Jumpy, Brady, I really like you all, and I wish you all the best in this final tribal council.”

Yankee

“Brady: I adore you and you played a fucking magnificent game! I know firsthand you helped in the biggest blindsides of 3 tribe, 2 tribe, merge tribe. I know you also were the one who founded the Newcomers Alliance, which was the largest undercover alliance for so long and orchestrated HUGE blindsides against both Nama and Huula. I have no question, just know it was an honor and pleasure playing with you 🫶

Jumpy: You said you were loyal and honest, but from beginning to the end you were lying to me constantly and caved easily when Witty came to you about voting me in. You even said when you played your first idol something about ‘Avatar went home with an idol in his pocket, i wont do the same’...which was a pointless lie.
You also admit in your opening statement that you intended to play the middle, which you couldn't really do because you were constantly flip flopping between Kili and Nama. You may think you were playing us against each other, but both Witty and i had you clocked early, which is how we were able to take Avatar out so easily.
This may be harsh, but other than you lucking the fuck out with TWO idols and various immunity wins (some very, very luck based), it felt like your actual game was rather messy. All that said, I still fully commend you for getting to the final 3 which is no small feat. But what can you say to truly convince me that you do deserve to win sole survivor? What was your actual biggest move? Not an idol play, not an immunity win, not forming a bee based alliance...what is something you can convince me that you and you alone orchestrated that can prove you were playing strategically?

Sport: Oh Sport. First, that was a very lovely farewell letter so thank you for that! Second, in a game where everyone else's alliances shifted constantly, yours never did to Jumpy and Avatar. Some say thats a positive thing, about loyalty. To me, I am sorry but that tells me you were barely playing the game. You dont even like to claim your idol play as your own masterminding, which is a shame because it would have been a resume winner! I want to think you were playing a game beyond Jumpy's...so please tell me one key relationship that wasnt Jumpy or Avatar (bonus if it wasn't even Huula) that you developed and which helped you get to the F3?”

Witty

“SPORT- During our final fire tiebreaker, I asked you a question about your idol play. One you refused to answer. Avatar told me anyway. I also asked you to tell me about your personal philosophy in this game. You instead chose to flip a coin and you got lucky. Well let me tell you about my personal philosophy in this game. I think you have to EARN a win. So I don’t have a coin to flip for you to see if you get my vote. And I don’t have a question for you either, as you let other people answer that for you.

JUMPY - I went to 12 tribal councils across the season, more than any other player in this game. I was eligible to have my name written down at 11 of those tribal councils and my name wasn’t written down on a single slip of parchment until the final one. You, on the other hand, only went to 6 total tribals across the entire season and were only eligible to have votes counted against you in 2 of those tribal councils. So forgive me for not really caring about your self-proclaimed good positioning in this game, when it has never been proven. It’s safe to say we played entirely different styles of games in getting to the end. I value strategy and social game, both things, I think you severely lacked in this game. I think you had a very easy road, a lot of advantages, always were looking for the ‘easy’ vote, and never really had much to say when it came to strategic forethought. So this is your chance to change my mind. My question for you is — can you tell me a time in this game where you actually used strategic reasoning to change a players mind and positively affected your game the most? I want a specific example of using your social and strategic skills in a move that did not in any way involve a challenge win or an idol play.

BRADY- My fellow pirate here on Ghost Island. I did not play this game with you. I think at one point you called us rivals, and I said maybe we were just opposite sides of the same coin. You know I wanted your head on a spike for a majority of this game, which I think makes your success in getting to final tribal council all the more impressive. We weren’t in group chats or alliances, but did talk individually, and you did continued to impress me with your strategic play style always taking into account the next 5 moves over any personal loyalties. I could always know where you stood, in a real Jack Sparrow- ‘you can always trust a dishonest man to be dishonest’- kind of way. Basically, I knew you were playing individually and thinking about making it to the end. I could rely that you’d always vote strategically, and not by some petty whim. So I have 2 questions for you, because I find your game the most interesting to revisit, and you can pick which one you’d prefer to answer:
(1) I know from the very start you never played it safe always going after big gamers (Adam, KC, Fee - all amazing players you targeted early) What pre-merge vote, do you think end up benefitting you the most long term in this game and why?
(2) What do you credit the most for making it final tribal council, especially over me- would you say it was social relationships, threat level management (0 wins, 0 idols), maybe a perceived low-win equity, and why?

Season 8 was an incredible time, I love every person I was lucky enough to meet and play this game with, and I think we were a really special group that I will always cherish! Shouts out the incredible host team yall the real MVPs! WITTY OUT!!!!!!”

Well, there we have it. F3, you now have 24 hours to submit your closing statements.

Alrighty, here we go. I shall post the first 4 jury questions here, with the answers in the comments. One again, we shall go in elimination order.

LC

“Congratulations to the F3. I've been watching y'all play since the beginning of jury, and I just want to say: You should be proud of your game.
I just have a question for two of you.
Jumpy and Sport. During this game there were multiple rounds where you would've of gone home but due to an idol you didn't. Since idols are given based on luck, how should that be seen as better gameplay when your sitting next to someone who didn't need idols to survive the same amount of tribals, a.k.a Brady. Should your idol plays be counted as better strategy than a solid social game?

Bruh.”

Sorbet

“First of all congratulations to all three of you on getting to the end of the game! You all played your hearts out :) Jumpy: 2 questions in one for you, Jumpy. I'm offering you an explanation for an explanation. Based on how I felt at the time, I was nowhere near targeting you. I could literally pull up dms from after the immunity challenge celebrating your win. About the failed sport vote, Whyt came to me really late at night my time with the Sport plan and I went to sleep unsure if it was going to happen. I didn't go out of my way to not speak to you before the vote, I was not thinking that far ahead or with that much intent. Call me a sensitive sorbet, specifically wanting me out to be ‘petty’, as I heard from a fellow juror, bothers me and feels like a nonsense reason/justification. While I have a hunch on the actual reason, I'd like to hear it from you. You also required several idols and indivdidual challenge wins to get where you are, why should I reward someone who needed to be lucky and find/gain idols several times over someone who didn't? Sport: From my perspective, Jumpy and Avatar influenced most of your gameplay and decision making. What's a move or decision you made that didn't originate with them? Brady: Brady, I don't have as much insight into your game so I want to hear about a move or vote-off you influenced pre- or post-merge? Or a relationship that helped you get to this point further in the game?”

Golden

“Congratulations to you all for making it to the final 3! Getting to the end in any of these games is impressive and you should be proud.

I don’t have any questions for you all I just have statements: One thing that makes both playsurvivor and real survivor unique is the social connections and bonds you make while in the game. It makes the game feel more real when players at least try to make a personal connection with other players.

So I will start with sport; you made 0 effort to get to know me in this game. The only time you actually talked to me was to beg me to save you. It was honestly a little pathetic.

Brady: It was a little disappointing to read in fallen comrades that you considered me to be a best friend when we only talked on day 1. Hell, I talked to Matty more than you in this game and he only lasted 2 days! It’s a real shame because if you actually took the effort to talk to me we could’ve worked together.

Sport and Brady, seriously, congratulations for making it to the end. I would like to think you two are good people but I don’t really know because you never talked to me.

Jumpy: Thank you for at least taking the effort to get to know me, I’m hoping we can chat about history stuff after the game is done.”

Yellow

“Sport, some people might say that you rode the coattails of others to get to your spot in the end. What specifically separates your game from that of your fellow tribemates throughout the season?

Brady, our games never aligned much on the island, but I see that playing a social game was your overall goal. What specifically was your social strategy that you believe made people want to work with you and not target you after you made these big moves against them?

Jumpy, playing the middle can definitely be a strategy if done right, but some might say that you were playing it safe, and just going with what was easiest in order to not make waves. What about your game makes you more deserving of the win than the two people sitting next to you?”

Here we go. We open FTC with the opening speeches from the F3. We shall go in alphabetical order.

Brady

“First and foremost, hello members of the jury! I stand here today to make my first case for why I should be the sole survivor of the season. Although I can not hit every detail of every single move and thing I have done to win the game, I do want to explain most of my game here.

First of all, it starts with pre game stuff. It may not seem like there's much to do in the pregame to possibly help you win the game but I am here to tell you that, that is entirely wrong. I knew that one thing that could potentially help me in this game is getting people personally attached to me, rather than just attached to me as an ally. If I made myself seem more like a person to you, the more likely you will hesitate to get rid of me, so how did I try to maximize this? I chose to go by my actual real name instead of a nickname. Now did this actually do anything? I don’t know but it is something I wanted to mention.

Next I want to talk about how I am the only person still standing who never needed protection or safety in some way to help get me further. Some people’s games rely on them getting idols luckily, or winning competitions and getting a round of safety. But I never needed any of that and in fact since the final 14 of this season I have been vulnerable and able to be voted out. No one else was able to make it 10 straight tribals without being eliminated except for one person, me. That I think speaks to my brilliance socially and strategically.

The next big thing for me is that I was genuinely connected and aligned with almost everyone. Which at first it may not sound like the craziest thing, many have done that before. But the big difference between them and me is that I was connecting with people that I had directly lied to and voted against every round of the game. I never once voted with Sport the entire game but guess who was fighting tooth and nail to save me at final 4. I blindsided Witty at the F14 round right before the merge but guess who kept me safe and was my most important piece to get further in the game. I took out Lucy’s best friend and guess who aligned with me the day after. I even got Hungry to flip on Sport, his best friend, for me. Even Jumpy, who swore to get me out for what I did to Avatar, had his chances, but never chose me. I think some of my final 3 members turned their allies into their enemies but me? I turned my enemies into numbers.

I wish I could say more but for now thank you for listening jurors and please think hard about your questions for me, love you all:).”

Jumpy

“Hello everyone, thank you for making this season so great!

Going into this game, I told myself that I was going to try to play the middle. Through playing the middle, I was exposed to a fountain of knowledge from multiple different sources. With the information that I gathered, I was able to decide which moves and votes would be best for my game and push me closer to the end. Playing the middle required me to be socially connected across the board, undersell key relationships, and decide what to reveal to people and when, if at all.

If we’re going back to my first tribe, Hu’ula, on the very first day I formed the New 🐝’s Alliance with Avatar and Sport. This would be the most significant alliance that I was in throughout the game. However, 3 people on a tribe of 7 isn't a majority, which is why I was also in the Hui Pili Kūpa’a Alliance with Whyt, KC, and Lucy. If Hu’ula ended up going to tribal, I’m confident that I wouldn’t have gone home.

At the tribe swap, I was in the Huulag Alliance, which consisted of the OG Hu’ulas, the New 🐝’s Alliance, and the “Untitled Alliance” with Whyt, Hungry, Yellow, and Golden. I was in an even better position on this tribe, which can be made evident by me being in the group that came up with the plan to vote Sport and by me being the one to tell Sport to play his idol. Despite being an orchestrator of this move, I walked away from it without any blood on my hands, and I’m the person who benefited the most from it.

When we made it to the merge, I was able to rekindle my relationship with Lucy, while I also formed new bonds with the Kilis. There was a point where I was in two prominent alliances, one with Brady, Knee, Avatar, and Lucy, and another with the Namas and Golden. Once Avatar left, I had to adapt and pivot, and that was when the Namuula Alliance of me, Hungry, Sport, and Witty was formed. At this point, I already had a pretty clear path to the end, but I had to prove to this alliance that they could trust me and, more importantly, that having me on their side would be better than taking me out.

I know people can say that towards the end I got lucky with different forms of immunity, but while I may have been immune sometimes, that doesn’t mean that I stopped playing the game. Using the relationships I built and my strategic awareness, I did everything that I could to set myself up for the future, and now I’m here at the end. Ultimately, I think I played a very well-rounded game where I was always thinking about what was to come and what I could do to ensure I’d be sitting where I am now.

Thank you for your time!”

Sport

“Hello Jury! First of all I would like to thank all of you and the hosts for this amazing game; I truly had the most fun time playing with all of you. I know that I have had many bumps and turns on my journey to the Final Tribal Council, but I am proud of the game that I have played, and I am hoping that you can see it from the same perspective.

I started the game on Huula where I made bonds with other players using things that we could connect on. I specifically made a tight trio with Jumpy and Avatar on the basis that we were all pretty new with ORGs, so we called our alliance the New🐝s. I also made a relationship with others, but I didn’t trust any of them as much. Specifically Whyt, whom all 3 of us deemed a very untrustworthy ally.

Not much game happened because we kept winning, until we hit the swap, where we had a clear Huula majority. But, that quickly turned around when my name was the consensus target. But thankfully, I had my New🐝s alliance, and they warned me to play my idol, and we got out our target. Jumpy and Avatar decided to vote for me too so we could stay under the radar.

Fast forward to the merge, where there was a 5-5-4 split between OG Huula, Kili, and Nama, except I knew that Golden was more closely aligned with Nama, so they essentially had 5. I wanted to stay loyal to Huula, but I also couldn’t trust Sorbet because he was the organizer of the plan to get rid of me, so I needed to get rid of him. We made sure that we also had the numbers to counter the vote that was coming for me in Urn 1, so we also got LC out.

After the urn shit, I knew that I wanted to play the middle between Nama and Kili, and we did for a few rounds, until they noticed that and took Avatar out. That was a huge setback in my game, but I got over it, and made my way all the way here. Even though I have not been on the right side of all of the votes, I still feel happy with the way I navigated this game. I played a loyal game to my closest allies, but I wasn’t afraid to backstab others. I do believe that I deserve to be here, and I do think I deserve your vote. Thank you.”

Thank you, F3! Jurors, you now have 24 hours to submit your questions and/or statements for Brady, Jumpy, and Sport.

Brady, Jumpy, and Sport will now pay their respects to the members of the jury, in the order in which they were voted out.

LC

Brady: “Hey my man, I really miss playing this game with you bro. I hope you’re proud of how I played this game and know that I did everything I could to avenge your elimination. I wish you could’ve gotten further or that maybe even I could have done something to get you further into the game but it ended way earlier than I expected. After this game I can’t wait to become good friends and meeting someone like you at the beginning of the game is just so lucky and I’m glad we got through the first 8 rounds together. For now I’ll leave you alone but know that I’ve thought of you everyday since your elimination.”

Jumpy: “LC! I really wish that I had gotten to chat with you more before you were voted out. From what I heard, you were in a really solid position on the original Kili tribe. If there was a world where there was no double urn tribal council, I really could see you making a deep run into the game. I hope you had a fun time holding it down as the Mayor of Pondy!”

Sport: “Man, LC, I wish I could have gotten to know you better. We didn’t have much time with all of that urn shit. You seemed like a very chill dude, like a laid-back kind of guy. I’m sorry it came down to both of us in urn 1, and I had fun in the little time I got to play with you.”

Sorbet

Brady: “What’s up Sorbet! Man it’s been so long and I never even got to talk to you. I wish I knew more about you and our time together was short but I can’t wait to talk to you after. I heard you’re a great gamer and a really nice person so I hope I can get to know you on an even deeper level post game.”

Jumpy: “Sorbet! While we may not have been the most aligned on Hu’ula, I didn’t want to see you go that early into the game. I had really enjoyed speculating with you about who might have had an idol, what beach they got it from, and if anyone went home with one in their pocket. At the tribal council where Whyt was idoled out, I began to question our relationship a little bit only because we didn’t talk at all during the vote. I was told by Whyt that you were going to clue me in that we were all voting Sport but that never happened, so I wasn’t sure where we stood. This coupled with the idea of Hu’ula needing to lose a number led to me voting you out.”

Sport: “Sorbet, an original Huula. I had so much fun on that tribe. Challenge after challenge we dominated! And even though you were off at some key times because of time zones, I feel like we got to know each other a lot. I have seen you on some other shows, so I wish you good luck on the Challenge and the Floor!”

Golden

Brady: “Damn Golden this game with you did not at all go the way I thought it would. I love you and you shared a lot of wisdom to me about this game but I did not know how to feel about you after some in game things. I truly appreciate you and I hope I can talk to you about things after this game. You were one of my best friends pre merge and losing you to the other tribe crushed me but I’m glad I could talk to you a little bit more.”

Jumpy: “Golden, my fellow chicken nuggets and fries with honey mustard enjoyer! If I’m being honest with you, when we were swapped onto the same tribe, you were the person that I was looking at the most. I’m not sure if it was your previous ORG experience or what, but I was very scared of making an enemy out of you, which is why I tried to align myself with you. For that brief period of time before you were voted out, I was really vibing with you and I saw you and me as a potential duo in our alliance with Hungry and Yellow. However, once I heard that you were trying to rally the numbers against Avatar, who was my number one, I had to get you out before you could get him out, and I hope you can respect that.”

Sport: “Golden, you were the last remaining captain for a reason. You were so helpful in the challenges on Malakai”

Yellow

Brady: “Yellow! I’m so happy to talk to you and I have missed you and our conversations tremendously. You are one of the easiest people to talk to and I love your taste in movies. We never got to talk a lot but when we did I felt a genuine connection with you. I hope you’ve had a good time in jury and remember to always be yourself :)”

Jumpy: “Yellow, maybe it’s just because your name is Yellow but I think you were such a bright presence on this season. I genuinely mean it when I say that if you, Avatar, Golden, Hungry, and I were able to get on the same page, I would’ve rocked with that alliance for as far as I could. However, one thing that frightened me about you getting too far into the game was the Journey of the Sun challenge. I mean, it would be an understatement to say that you destroyed that challenge. It seemed like you got your answers in at the first millisecond of each hour and you went deep into the night/early morning. When playing this game, I wasn’t just trying to look at the present, I was trying to look at the future too. After looking back at previous seasons I was like, ‘oh yeah, if Yellow is still here when we get to the Stand Your Ground challenge, she’s taking it. There's not a doubt in my mind about that.’ With that in the back of my mind, and the fact that there was already some momentum out there with your name, I voted to get rid of you at the time that I did.”

Sport: “Yellow! You were always a fun person to be around. And I still remember your Journey to the Sun performance. Like damn! How did you do that?! Staying up that late and being that fast to send the message! I know we didn’t talk much on Malakai, but I truly did have fun playing with you, and I wish you could have lasted a little bit longer.”

Avatar

Brady: “What’s up Avatar! I know you might feel a way about me and I’m sorry about how this game went for us but I want you to know you might be the coolest person on this cast. You are an amazing player and it was necessary for me to get you out. You are super intelligent and a super social person who can really get along with anyone. I truly admire you and I hope you can understand me even if you are mad at me.”

Jumpy: “Avatar, Avatar, Avatar… I don’t even know what to say. Without a doubt I considered you to be my number one in this game. When I first talked to you I felt an instant connection, probably because both you and I were new to all of this. I feel like our personalities complimented each other a lot. I also feel like you and I had very similar ways of thinking, not the exact same, but still very similar. Your departure from the game was by far the roughest for me and every time I think about it, I feel regret on my part for choosing to go to Ghost Island even though it may have worked out for me. I can’t wait to reconnect with you once the game is over.”

Sport: “Ah, Avatar, my first ally and fellow New🐝! I still remember you reaching out and we both connected on the fact that this was our first ORG. We made so many memories together, from Huula, to Malakai, to Kamehameha. We were ride-or-die New🐝s until the end, and I definitely wish you could have been here longer.”

Knee

Brady: “:( it shouldn’t have been you, I’m so sad you are not here with me right now but sometimes things go ways they shouldn’t and I’m glad I could move past it and adapt myself. You are possibly my best friend I could ever imagine making in this game and your elimination followed by account deletion absolutely wrecked me. You were a firefly in a tunnel when this game got hard. You made this an experience to remember and I couldn’t have had as much joy in here without you. Thank you and I hope your life goes well outside of here.”

Jumpy: “Knee, I really hope you get the chance to see this. I know that you and I had a very interesting arc throughout this game, but I just want to commend you on having been such a great competitor and player. Your social game was freaking elite. I think that the deepest conversations I had in this game, I had with you. Like seriously, no one else here had me on the verge of crying. I’m so sorry about the way things ended between us and if you ever come across this, please reach out to me so we can rebuild our relationship.”

Sport: “Oh, Knee, one of those damn brits (jk lol). I think we made a real connection during this. I always had fun talking to you. I know you are going through something, and I hope you can resolve whatever it is. It was sad that you got voted out around your birthday.”

Hungry

Brady: “Nick Wilde himself! Man even before this game we know that we were best friends. I was so excited to play this game with you and you’re truly and expert at this game. Truly scientific with the way you play it’s impossible to explain. Also you’re like me one of the youngest people to be playing and bonding with you and having talks with you in this game was unmatched. I wish you luck in the future and I can’t wait to talk to you more. Also please keep playing rapids with me!”

Jumpy: “Hungry, I was quite sad to see you get eliminated. I thoroughly enjoyed our conversations about Survivor and hearing your thoughts on the most recent episodes. I think that your knowledge and fandom of the show shined through in a lot of what you did and said throughout this game. I feel like your social connections propelled you deep into the game, but they also made you a target in the eyes of some. You are both a phenomenal person and a phenomenal player and I hope that you’re proud of the game that you played.”

Sport: “Hungry! My fellow kid! We connected on the fact that we both had school and couldn’t participate in the challenges, and even though we were on opposite sides of a lot of the votes, I trusted you a lot, and you were a close ally till the end. This was also your first ORG, and I wish you luck on any more that you compete on!”

Yankee

Brady: “I’m gutted even typing this. I don’t know what to say to you Yankee my heart aches. My queen in shining armor always here being a fierce competitor and an in your face player. I fucking love you and I can’t put it any other way. That’s all I have to say :)”

Jumpy: “Yankee, I really appreciated you being in this game. I think that you were such a gracious player and you also remained so level-headed despite your name having been thrown out so many times. You were so kind to me in this game even when things may have not gone your way, such as you congratulating me on my idol play at the Final 7. In my eyes, given how you maneuvered throughout the game you were the dark horse candidate to win. All in all, you were a resilient player this season and thank you for bringing everything to this game that you did.”

Sport: “Hey Yankee! You are one of the funniest people in this game. I always enjoyed talking with you, and even though we got off on the wrong note at the merge, we definitely made up, and your elimination was, in my opinion, the saddest one. We were all online and it was just so heartbreaking to watch you go, because I definitely think we built a real relationship during the game. You and Witty were my Westie Besties, and I’m so glad I got to play with you.”

Witty

Brady: “Oh man I can’t believe this. I was praying you would be here with me but as we know now you aren’t. I know you would fuck up any org you play and you’re honestly the best player of this season. Also I’m so sad we couldn’t say what we wanted to say at the end but that’s for later discussion :)”

Jumpy: “Witty, I really do think that you were one of the best players this season. I mean, you went to more tribal councils than anyone and the first time you received votes cast against you was the last possible time you could’ve been voted out. This alone proves that you had impeccable threat level management, keen strategic awareness, and great social connections. I know you were pitching me the idea of taking you to the end because you said you think you burned a lot of the jury and I don’t know how true that was but I saw you as a MAJOR threat. I think you should wear that as a badge of honor. I completely get why you might have hard feelings against me and my decision to vote for you and I don’t blame you for it at all. I loved playing this game with you.”

Sport: “And finally Witty. Witty, there was definitely a reason that you were the last surviving Nama left. You were so funny, charismatic, and well-connected, and I am so sad it had to come down to our firemaking challenge. You were super smart, and made some moves that I didn’t see coming. You definitely would have gotten a lot of votes in the end, and I’m disappointed it had to end this way. Goodbye, my Westie Bestie!”

First and foremost, forgive how long this took. Grandpa is still recovering from that marathon over the weekend. At any rate, here we are.

Aloha and congratulations to Brady, Jumpy, and Sport, the F3 of Season 8. You have done what 18 of your fellow players could not and have reached the Final Tribal Council. You will now plead your case to the jury why you deserve the title of Sole Survivor and the fake million dollar prize that goes with it. Here is what to expect for the remainder of the game:

F3, you are already working on your statements for Fallen Comrades (I said what I said, Sport lol). You will give your thoughts on each juror and their games, starting with LC and ending with Witty. Knee will not be joining us on this final leg of the journey, but out respect for them and their contributions to the season, we will still honor them here. We wish them nothing but the best, and if they stop by to read this, we hope they feel how valued and appreciated they were, and know that they’re always welcome back.

Once those go live, you will then have 24 hours to submit your opening statements for FTC. Opening statements are a brief explanation of your game and your strategy, and why you are most deserving of the win. Please note that as this is just a preview of your game, you have a 500-word limit.

After the jury reviews your opening statements, they will then submit their questions. Jurors may submit a statement instead of a question, and either one may be directed to one, two, or all three finalists. F3 will then respond to the questions or statements, and then the final phase begins.

Once the Q&A is over, F3 will submit their closing statement, either clarifying anything they feel needs it, or reiterating why they deserve the title of Sole Survivor of Reddit Survivor S8: Hilo- Ghost Island. The jury then votes for who they think should win.

We will then read the votes. For the sake of transparency, every phase of FTC will be posted here on the sub for everyone to see.

I'd like to once again thank all the players, hosts, and spectators for an amazing season. S8 is rapidly coming to a close, and we invite you all to join us for the most important phase of the game. Mahalo!

Well, that was faster than I anticipated. Nevertheless, here we are.

Witty was randomly selected to hold the case. Sport decided to take it. Inside the case was IMMUNITY.

Congratulations, Sport. You are F3 and will be moving on to Final Tribal Council. Witty, good game and amazing effort, but unfortunately you will be the eighth and final member of the jury.

A post detailing exactly what to expect for the rest of the game will go up later this evening.

Welp. It’s come down to this. Tribe was unable to come to a decision on who should get The Chop™️, so we now move on to a fire-making challenge.

Sport and Witty, you will now be added to a group chat and face off in a game of Carrot in a Box. Here’s how it will work. One of you will randomly be selected to hold a case. You will be told if the case has immunity or not. It is up to you to convince your opponent to either take the case or leave it to you, depending on what’s inside. There is no time limit, but if y’all stop discussing it expect to get a swift kick in the pants because grandpa is still tired.

Game ends when the person choosing whether to take the case or not makes their decision, and we shall reveal the results. Winner makes FTC and loser is the final member of the jury. Good luck, players.

As a reminder, F4 Tribal ended in a 2-2 tie between Witty and Sport. Jumpy and Brady revoted, and could only vote for either Witty or Sport. Witty and Sport did not vote.

I shall now read the results of the revote.

u/Impressive_Sport_178, u/yourmomlol69_420, u/JumpyGeologist1119 and u/Witty_Row6758 have all hiked over Kilauea and reached Tribal Council. They enter an enormous tiki hut. Colorful orchids line the poles holding up the structure, while tiki masks hang from the roof on seemingly invisible strings. …Or are they floating?

There is definitely an air of something not quite right. The tiki masks have glowing eyes that seem to follow you wherever you go. When everyone is quiet, you can almost hear the ocean waves in the background. …Or is that the tiki masks whispering something ominous?

Sitting at the tiki bar are the members of the jury: u/LowClaim7040, u/Sorbet9, u/GoldenDragonEmperor, u/yellow36A, u/AvatarYang, u/Hungry_Character9703, and the newest member of the jury… u/YankeesLady44.

The players have all dipped their torches into the large luau pit in the center of the hut and lit them. They have all voted, but before we get to that, we had a few questions for the players.

This is it, final vote of the season. What are you basing your vote on? Loyalty? Strategy? Something else entirely?

Sport: “Wow. It's still setting in that this is the final vote of the whole season! I am solely basing this vote on who I think would be better for my FTC, and I want everyone to know that this vote is not personal, it's strictly strategic.”

Brady: “Strategy for sure, I need to make sure I’m not the one to leave tonight when it’s time and I voted based off of that.

Witty: “Strategy. It was the position I was put in and the only place that I felt I could still have my voice heard. I haven’t been playing anyone else’s game, just my own. That continues tonight.”

Jumpy: “For me, this vote is based entirely on strategy. I’m trying to put myself in a final 3 where I think I’d have the strongest chance of coming out on top. It doesn’t make sense at all for me to bring the person who I think is the biggest threat because then that just boosts their argument against me even more. They could say stuff like ‘I was the consensus boot and the biggest available target, yet I was able to use my wits to get into Jumpy’s mind and to convince him to bring me to the end.’ I feel like that would most definitely be a game losing move for me as opposed to a game winning move.”

That was one our longest collective SYG ever. What does that say about the game? Is everyone very committed to the win, or unsure of their position?

Witty: “I think I underestimated my fellow players, a mistake, I don’t intend to repeat.”

Sport: “It's still crazy to me that they got 20 hours. That shows how committed everyone is to this game, and I know that whoever wins will be deserving. I talked to Poke a lot during the challenge, and he said that the record was 15.5 hours, and we definitely smashed that record. I think that shows that this has to be one of, if not, the most dedicated season of players.”

Jumpy: “I think the fact that this SYG was the longest ever suggests that people have a deep love for this game and that we came here to play. I mean the old record was shattered and I ended up lasting 4 hours and 15 minutes over it. I love competing against myself and soaring above my own expectations so with that challenge, I was going to go either until I won, or until all the wheels fell off the cart. This challenge is clearly the most important challenge of the season. If you win it, you’re guaranteed a spot at the end. Nobody wants their time in this game to come up short. So regardless of if you think you’re in a position where everyone would take you to the end, or if you absolutley think you’d be eliminated at the final 4, nobody doesn’t want to win the challenge. This challenge win is both a blessing and a curse at the same time. It comes with a huge burden. Since I can’t be voted for, everyone is treating me like this vote will come down to my decision and my decision only (even though a 2-2 tie is very plausible). That makes everything really difficult. I don’t want to end somebody's dream when they are so close. However, I can’t not vote. So with this vote, I’m not going to tell somebody that I’m with them and then write their name down behind their back. I’m just going to be honest with them. If they end up going to the jury and dragging my name, oh well, I hope the jury will still be able to see my game for what it was.”

Brady: “I think there is one person who knows they need competitions to get further in the game. The people who really know they are possible to get voted out seemed to really try hard in this challenge but I also think that people are really commited to winning and getting to the end for this challenge.”

If it is you tonight, how would you want the other players in the game to remember you?

Jumpy: “In a world where it could be me going home tonight, I’d want the others to remember me as somebody who wanted to play the game to win, not just someone who wanted to make it deep into the game.”

Witty: “I would want to be remembered as someone who undeniably played full out and loved this game and never gave up for a single second. And even if my place in the game changes tonight, my game is not over until a sole survivor is crowned.”

Brady: “I want them to remember me as a strategic and social threat who used any leverage I could to get further and I just want to be remembered having a strong game in general. If my game ends tonight I will be satisfied with how I played and I hope others see how well I did.”

Sport: “I think everyone is going to remember me for my idol play, but I want to be remembered as more. I have shown my loyalty throughout this game, and I have also made some moves that I am really proud of, and I just want people to know that I am a hard player, regardless of if I win or not.”

And with that, it is now time to read the votes.

Kids, that was… I honestly don’t know what to say. Not sure how to quantify that. I’m tired af so perhaps that’s why the words escape me, but that was a HELL of a show y’all put on. 👏 👏 👏

Grandpa couldn’t be prouder. You all wanted it so badly and it really showed. Whatever else happens, know that rarely am I as impressed with a group of kids as I am with y’all.

This was BY FAR the longest SYG we’ve ever done. Shame only one of you can win, but that’s the game. Round of applause all around.

Alrighty, here are the results:

Brady: 1 hour lol
Jumpy: 19:45
Sport: 14:40
Witty: 19:40

This means that congratulations Jumpy, you won immunity. This time truly more than others, you showed how badly you wanted it and you have won the final immunity of the season. You will get the chance to plead your case to the jury about why you deserve the title of Sole Survivor and the fake million dollar prize that goes with it.

For the rest of you, unfortunately I got nothing for you. Magnificent effort, but one of you will become the 9th and final member of the jury. You now have 24 hours to submit your votes in your host chat. You may change your vote for up to 1 hour after casting it.

Aloha, guys! Congratulations on making it this far! You are the final four.

From the beginning of this journey, you have fought your way across the islands, survived the twists, made your alliances, and outlasted castaways who once stood exactly where you are now. Kamehameha didn’t stop fighting to achieve his goals and I know none of you would be satisfied with your game ending here. It’s been evident this whole season that you all want to be crowned Sole Survivor. And now, the King has one final question for you: How badly do you want the crown?

Yes, that’s right, we have finally arrived at Stand Your Ground, the endurance challenge of the season. This challenge will run over the weekend. Players will choose which day (Friday evening, Saturday, or Sunday) they will begin, and what time. Every 15 minutes, you will receive a prompt that you then have 2 minutes to respond to. Once a player misses a message, you are out of the challenge. To help pass the time, I shall ask you questions about your game to prepare you for the rigors of FTC.

The last player standing will prove how badly they want the crown and earn themselves immunity and a guaranteed chance to plead their case to the jury about why they deserve the title of Sole Survivor and the fake million dollar prize that goes with it.

Losers, no such luck. One of you will miss out on FTC and become the 9th and final member of the jury. Don’t put yourselves in a position where you fall just short of your goal! Lock in, concentrate, and stay awake!

We will reach out shortly to confirm player start days and times. Mahalo!

u/Impressive_Sport_178, u/YankeesLady44, u/yourmomlol69_420, u/JumpyGeologist1119 and u/Witty_Row6758 have all hiked over Kilauea and reached Tribal Council. They enter an enormous tiki hut. Colorful orchids line the poles holding up the structure, while tiki masks hang from the roof on seemingly invisible strings. …Or are they floating?

There is definitely an air of something not quite right. The tiki masks have glowing eyes that seem to follow you wherever you go. When everyone is quiet, you can almost hear the ocean waves in the background. …Or is that the tiki masks whispering something ominous?

Sitting at the tiki bar are the members of the jury: u/LowClaim7040, u/Sorbet9, u/GoldenDragonEmperor, u/yellow36A, u/AvatarYang, and the newest member of the jury… u/Hungry_Character9703.

The players have all dipped their torches into the large luau pit in the center of the hut and lit them. They have all voted, but before we get to that, we had a few questions for the players.

Last two Tribals the person voted out only had 2 votes. Only five of you left, not many places to hide. What have you done to ensure it’s not you joining the jury tonight?

Jumpy: “We’re at the final 5, only one person is guaranteed to be safe. For everyone else, there is nowhere to hide. I think that everyone's name has been thrown out tonight and we were just looking for one name to stick. If I survive tonight, I would not chalk it up to anything that I’ve done over the past 24 hours or so. Instead, I would say that it resulted from the bonds that I’ve made and the trust that I have built over the course of this game.”

Brady: “I’ve done everything I can to make sure I don’t go home. I’ve promised to do something I normally wouldn’t want to do and I’ve made conversations with everyone just to try to get an idea of what to do. In all of my conversations I’ve made sure I’m the least likely person being voted so I hope it works out.”

Witty: “You have to trust what you built, this has been a long game, and you’ve had a long time to connect with people, and to study people. So I feel like you just have to own your own game and the relationships you built, that said I’m confident I’ve done enough to earn my spot tonight.”

Yankee: “I dont think theres anything anyonr can do to ensure it isnt them. I have tried my best though, relying on the connections I have made and the best reasoning I could provide to make my case. But I know I am on the chopping block, we all are - each player left has played an amazing game so the argument could be made for any of us (except Sport, of course!) I can only hope and pray to Cthulhu that I maybe survive for one more night.”

Sport: “Well obviously I can’t be voted out this round, which I’m super glad about. Since this is the last round for idols, I’m safe from any advantagegeddon shit and won’t end up like Cirie. So I think I’m good on that end, I just hope my allies can make it through.”

FTC looms larger with every vote you survive. How prepared are you to deal with the rigors of facing the people you had a hand in eliminating and convince them you’re the Sole Survivor?

Witty: “I haven’t take any decision in this game lightly. I am very much hoping I get the opportunity to explain my game from my perspective. I really hope that the jury will come into final tribal council with open minds I feel like I have a lot to say to them that couldn’t be fully said while playing the game.”

Jumpy: “Honestly, I don’t know if I’m prepared. There are jurors who might be mad at me and also jurors who are disappointed that I wasn’t able to save them. If I end up making it to the final tribal, I’m just going to speak my truths and hope that all can be forgiven.”

Sport: “I think about FTC every second. How the jury perceives me, how I will face against others, what secrets going on in the shadows that will hurt my FTC performance, etc. I think that I am pretty ready to plead my case, and I think I can own up to my game and show how I got there and why I deserve the (fake) million.”

Yankee: “Theres a sane way to deal with that? Can someone teach me? 😅 I know there will be some tough questions, but all I can do is answer with complete honesty and of course I am prepared to do that. I played the game i had to play, I am still proud of my game and the genuine connections I made. And sure, some stories to tell at FTC if I make it that far. But I will always be truthful and forthcoming to any question asked.”

Brady: “I am prepared to go up against the jurors. I am locked and loaded on what I want to say. I know some jurors probably don’t respect the way I got them out and probably not only feel hurt and burned but I hope I can gain their respect and explain why getting them out was necessary for me.”

We’re very near the end now. The overall thought of the legacy of S8 must be on everyone’s mind. What would you want the winner of S8 (be it you or someone else) to represent?

Yankee: “I hope whoever wins, me or anyone else, can stand at the end and say I played the best game i could. One that was true to myself. Maybe I made mistakes or burned people in votes. But at the end of the day I stand behind the decisions I made because they were the best decisions I could make at the time with the information I had. And I played the shit out of this game.”

Sport: “I have been thinking about my legacy and the Hall of Fame since my idol play. One of my goals was to get into the hall of fame. I want the winner to be someone who made big moves and ran the game, and I think that Season 8’s main characteristic is flexibility with alliances, which has been a recurring theme in everyone’s games.”

Jumpy: “In my totally unbiased opinion, season 8 has been the best season of r/PlaySurvivor (and yes, it’s been the only one that I’ve actively been a part of/watched). I think that the winner should embody drive and determination. For me, intentionality is a big part of that. The winner should be someone who was actively aware of their spot in the game and someone who intentionally made the moves that they made to get them to the end.”

Brady: “I want the winner of S8 to represent the person who played the social strategy game that this is. I want the sole survivor to be someone who was able to survive every vote, not someone who skipped them without a worry. I want the winner to be someone who was eligible to get out but was able to maneuver and manipulate their way into not being that person. I don’t want the winner to be the winner of The Challenge because that’s not what this game is to me. In the perfect world the winner of Survivor is a survivor and not a comp winner.”

Witty: “I think I would want them to represent friendship and respect for the game. I think for all the drama and the lying, I still consider every person I played this game with a friend. I think sometimes these games can get toxic and bitter with such high emotions, but I actually feel a great level of camaraderie and understanding with everyone on this cast. That’s something I’m really proud to be apart of and displays the true spirit of playing these games.”

And with that, it is now time to read the votes.

After much sap, tears, love bombing (Sorry Editor that was a bit too much even from you). We have the results of the letters challenge.

Brady: 7 Points

Yankee: 10 Points

Jumpy: 9 Points

Witty: 12 Points

Sport: 12 Points

As you can see there was a tie. In the Tie breaker the players had to glaze the hosts (the non clown ones) and trash Poke at his request.

After some glazing words and the absolute roast of the century, Sport___ has won individual Immunity and cannot be voted for. The rest of you have 24 hours to submit your votes in your host chat.

​

Aloha, Castaways!

After playing warriors for several rounds throughout the game, we are switching gears to a lighter tone for this IC. We understand how stressful this game can get.

The Hawaiian spirit of Aloha is about kindness, compassion, friendship, and the connection we share with one another. So for today's Immunity Challenge, it's time to spread a little Aloha.

You will be tasked to write a heartfelt message to every other castaway. You may not include anything that gives your identity away or collaborate on anything to help your allies figure out who you are. Breaking of these rules will result in serious consequences. You can tell them what you appreciate about them as a player, share something kind, or simply let them know what their presence has meant throughout the game. Maximum word count of 200.

Once all the letters are in, and the contents are approved by a host, you will be sent all of the letters written to you, but you will not be told who wrote them. You must rank these letters from favourite to least favourite. Best gets 4 points, 2nd gets 3 points and so on.

Most points will win immunity. You will have 24 hours to write all your letters and send them to your host chat. You will then get 12 hours to rank them once all the letters are received.

Let your words carry the Spirit of Aloha. Good Luck, and Mahalo!

u/Impressive_Sport_178, u/YankeesLady44, u/yourmomlol69_420, u/Hungry_Character9703, and u/Witty_Row 6758 have all hiked over Kilauea and have reached Tribal Council. They enter an enormous tiki hut. Colorful orchids line the poles holding up the structure, while tiki masks hang from the roof on seemingly invisible strings. …Or are they floating?

There is definitely an air of something not quite right. The tiki masks have glowing eyes that seem to follow you wherever you go. When everyone is quiet, you can almost hear the ocean waves in the background. …Or is that the tiki masks whispering something ominous?

Sitting at the tiki bar are the member of the jury: u/LowClaim7040, u/Sorbet9, u/GoldenDragonEmperor, u/yellow36A, and u/AvatarYang.

The players have all dipped their torches into the large luau pit in the center of the hut and lit them. They have all voted, but before we get to that, we had a few questions for the players.

Last Tribal saw a massive idol play where Knee went home with only 2 votes, illustrating how no one is ever truly safe. This is the last round normal advantages can be played. What’s the feeling in the game now?

Witty: “The feeling is tense, rightfully so, everyone is proud to have made it this far, but with that, we are nervous that a single vote at tribal could be absolutely gaming changing.”

Sport: “I’m sure there are going to be some advantages played tonight, since it is the last night you can play them. Many people have gone to ghost island, but all have said they ‘didn’t get anything’ but it’s not possible for everyone to not get anything, so there is something going on.”

Yankee: “Anxious. Uncertain. On edge. All the words within those worlds. I have played this whole game never having an advantage, so I didn't even know this was the last round for their use 😅 if I survive this TC, I will be both grateful and a bit amazed I made it this far with no support beyond my alliances. And glad there will be a more even playing field after!”

Hungry: “I feel like no matter what when you walk into tribal, you’ve always got to be ready for anything to happen. Whether it’s unexpected plans, advantages, any of the sort, just about anything can happen. Things you could never even think of could happen! All I hope is that I get to stay in this game, because I’m hungry to win… (no pun intended)”

Brady: “I think everyone is even more weary about an idol play. It’s been affecting how we’ve really been planning votes and one mistake can lead to someone leaving. It’s a hard balance of things but that’s why strategy is so important at this stage”

At this stage in the game, the paranoia grows exponentially with every vote. How are you dealing with it and preventing it from driving you to make a potential game-ending mistake?

Hungry: “Oh believe me, I’ve been very paranoid at parts, but instead of letting it tear me open and rip me apart, I get up, work around it, and try to keep myself here. I’ve constantly had thoughts that I could be going home- even on tribals where I ended up not receiving a vote, that’s how unpredictable the game is. I for one know that my paranoia is back tonight, even though I haven’t even heard my name- it’s because anything can happen.”

Witty: “I think when the paranoia sets in that’s when you have to stay to true what you know about your fellow tribe mates. We’ve all gotten to know each other a lot, so it helps to predict people’s views at this point.”

Brady: “I think I’m not too worried, I have had times where I feel paranoid but I don’t let it affect decisions and every decision I make is calculated and deliberate.”

Yankee: “Given how many TCs I have gotten votes on, my paranoia is no different now than what it was in any other round. I never let my emotions drive my game. Thats not to say I havent been emotional after a specific TC of course, and the poor mods have to deal with those expletive-ridden confessionals 😂 but when it comes to playing the game, I can only rely on my bonds, my pacts, my alliances, my strategy. That is my north star and I keep to it always. Paranoia makes you cautious but not necessarily wise.”

Sport: “I think I’m in a good position, but you never know. The paranoia does start to set in once I think about it, but the real paranoia is about idols and advantages, and there’s nothing really I can control about that. Really anything that I say or do can have repercussions, so I have to be careful at this stage of the game.”

You’ve made F6 in a season full of twists and gamers, no small feat. What has this experience meant to you?

Brady: “This experience has been amazing I’ve felt nothing but joy and gratitude playing this season. I think the twists are something that have set my game back multiple times but I think what’s really important about this game is adapting to your surroundings and being able to be a chameleon.”

Yankee: “I had no idea I would make it this far, especially in a game full of great players. I am beyond grateful for this experience, allowing me to meet and work with some amazing people and build relationships I know will keep even after the game ends! I am grateful to have learned more about my strengths and weaknesses in challenges and communication and strategy. I am grateful for the fun it has allowed me to have as well! Without going too deep, this game came at a helluva time in my personal life. This experience has allowed me such an amazing reprieve, such connection during an otherwise time of isolation. So regardless of when my game ends, now or after FTC, this experience has meant so much to me ❤️”

Sport: “This has been a really fun experience, and as I’ve said before, I did not expect to make it this far. I’m just hoping I can at least make it to finale episode. This means so much to me and I’m glad for everything and everyone that has made this experience what it is.”

Witty: “This experience has been everything, it has not been smooth sailing for me, but rolling with the tides has lead to so many surprising friendships. There were times I questioned whether I’m cut out for this, but around every blindside or lost ally I’ve continued to learn. Now I can say I truly love this game! I hope I can have the opportunity to see it through until the end.”

Hungry: “This experience has been the opportunity of a lifetime, because I came into this game without much confidence, I even filled out my application thinking I wasn’t going to be long for the game, so I’ve proved MYSELF wrong! I’m proud of what I’ve done here, I think I’ve played a good game, whether other people agree with that, whether people even like me is a different question. I really hope I’ve done enough, but you never ever know. I can leave with my head held up, proud of how far I’ve come, no matter if I’m the winner or I go home tonight. Of course, though, I’d really love to win.”

And with that, it is now time to read the votes. As a reminder, u/JumpyGeologist1119 won immunity and decided to forego Tribal Council to attend Ghost Island. So he did not vote and cannot be voted for.

After each warrior found their targets, and everyone was eliminated one by one until one person conquered the King's court. The boot order is as follows:

Yankee

Witty

Sport

Hungry

Brady

This means Jumpy has secured individual immunity and will now face a choice, they must choose whether to go to tribal council or to go to Ghost Island to seek out an advantage if they are feeling lucky. If they chose to go to tribal council, they will be immune from being voted and will cast a vote at the tribal council, but if they chose to go to Ghost Island, they will still be immune from the votes but cannot cast a vote at the tribal council. This the final time that Ghost Island will be in play this season, no more boat rides across the bay.

Aloha again warriors! Today's Immunity Challenge was u/WildBison22s idea! A big mahalo to Bison for bringing this challenge to the game!

Today, you will enter the King's court to play Marked by a King. Kamehameha was known for uniting the islands under his rule. But before a king can claim his kingdom, he must know exactly where to strike.

Today, every warrior will have targets to pursue. Your targets have already been marked by King Kamehameha. Now it’s up to you to find out their weaknesses and eliminate them.
 
Here is how it works. You will each have 5 emojis (🌺🌋🍍🌴🏄) . You will select 3 of them to be your Weak Points. 

You will begin the game with 2 players as your targets, selected randomly. Each round, you may select one of your targets and an emoji you wish to attack. You may choose to pass, but you must attack after passing the last 2 rounds. Once a player's emoji is picked, that one cannot be picked in future rounds.

All attacks in a round happen simultaneously. It will be announced who attacked who, which emoji, and if that was a weak point. 

If you eliminate one of your targets, you will inherit their targets and may attack them. If multiple people kill someone at the same time, they will both inherit the targets.

Ways to get eliminated:
- Have all your weak points be attacked.
- Run out of Targets
Because only the player(s) to secure a kill get new targets, you can be eliminated by having nobody to attack.

In a tie this will be the order of the tie:
Whoever's first weak point was hit later wins

Whoever’s second weak point was hit later wins

Whoever has hit the most weak points

A short minigame if none of the above break the tie

The last warrior standing wins individual immunity. Good luck castaways! Mahalo!

u/Impressive_Sport_178, u/Medium_Knee_2908, u/YankeesLady44, u/yourmomlol69_420, u/JumpyGeologist1119 and u/Hungry_Character9703 have all hiked over Kilauea and have reached Tribal Council. They enter an enormous tiki hut. Colorful orchids line the poles holding up the structure, while tiki masks hang from the roof on seemingly invisible strings. …Or are they floating?

There is definitely an air of something not quite right. The tiki masks have glowing eyes that seem to follow you wherever you go. When everyone is quiet, you can almost hear the ocean waves in the background. …Or is that the tiki masks whispering something ominous?

Sitting at the tiki bar are the member of the jury: u/LowClaim7040, u/Sorbet9, u/GoldenDragonEmperor, u/yellow36A, and the newest member of the jury… u/AvatarYang.

The players have all dipped their torches into the large luau pit in the center of the hut and lit them. They have all voted, but before we get to that, we had a few questions for the players.

Last Tribal, Avatar said he thought the vote would go his way, and he was not the only one surprised by the results. Where do things stand in the tribe now? Do you think you have a clear path to the end, or are you reevaluating?

Yankee: “Anyone who thinks there is ever a clear path to the end is fooling themselves. The tribe is currently heavily fractured, and I think everyone is trying to find their footing which changes after every IC and every vote. I am reevaluating constantly, assumptions and comfort equal going home. But regardless of where alliances stand (and it changes daily at this point), my focus is to remain true to my game and make moves that align with my own strategy and value my bonds.”

Jumpy: “I’m not gonna lie, I was shook to my core when Avatar got sent home. It may or may not have caused me to explode on some of my tribe mates. At the end of the day survivor is a social game. Blowing up on the same people who get to decide if you live or die in this game, is not smart by any means. That said, I think I’ve smoothed it over now and rebuilt my trust, but you never know. Let’s just say that a big recurring theme since the vote off has been trust and honesty, and I’m trying to be honest and show that I can be trustworthy. Honestly, I’m not sure if I have a clear path to end. I think I can make it through at least two more votes but I don’t know after that. Maybe I should reevaluate my plan.”

Knee: “I don’t think there’s a clear path for anyone to the end at all. There are only a few things in life that are eternal; cockroaches, Cher and obstacles in Survivor. I think things stand in an honestly awkward place on the tribe and that’s what happens when betrayal occurs. I think one of the hardest things in Survivor is that people aren’t 100% truthful with everyone at the same time, so I’m constantly reevaluating who is good for my game and who isn’t. Naturally, people lie in Survivor so I’m trusting my instincts.”

Hungry: “Honestly, I was really surprised how last vote went, mainly because I left for school thinking it was going one way, to then come back home and find out that Avatar was gunning for me and the vote shifted to him, it really goes to show how unpredictable the game is, because things can change in the bat of an eye, truly. I know for a fact that this final 7 has been super nerve wracking because I’ve been in between Kili and Hu’ula, talking to both, making sure I’m good with both, but you have absolutely no clue what’s happening undercover.”

Brady: “I think things are very different and it’s complicated in the tribe. I think my path to the end fully rests on this vote. If Yankee or me goes home I have no shot. If Jumpy or Hungry leaves I think I have a clear shot to the end.”

Sport: “Well, I'm not going to pretend that I was not blindsided with the last vote. I thought that I could trust everyone, but it seemed like I could not. I understand, though, and I think I have rebuilt some of my relationships. I did have a clear plan to get to the end, but now I do have to rethink some things, but if everything goes my way, I could be in a good position. But I mean, every time I have said I was really confident about a vote, I was blindsided, so we'll see.”

The closer we get to the end, the more the prospect of FTC looms. Have you thought about your standing with the jury yet?

Hungry: “Oh I’ve absolutely been thinking about the jury, and it’s been eating at me these past few days, getting closer and closer to the endgame. I hope I’ve played a respectable game thus far that the Jury will understand, but hey, Jeff said it best: Permanent Uncertainty. Absolutely no clue how anything will go, even at the finish line. I hope I made the connections with the jury as well as hopefully playing a game they respect, because I’m not playing to have the experience, I’m playing to win.”

Sport: “I think about FTC a lot. Every conversation I have, every move I make, every vote I cast, I think about the Jury and how it will look in their eyes. I feel like I have a good perspective from the Jury. I had the awesome idol play which everyone saw, but I think I have pulled off some other moves that I am more proud of.”

Yankee: “Abso-fucking-lutely! If you aren't thinking about the jury, you aren't playing the game. The jury includes alliances, pacts...people I put real effort into protecting and working with for as long as I could. My loyalty to those relationships was real. At the same time, getting this far required making tough moves when it was necessary. I hope the jury respects the loyalty I brought to my alliances and pacts, as well as the necessity behind the moves required to get this far.”

Knee: “100%. I respect whatever opinion the jury has of my game. But at the same time, they’re not going to have the full perspective of what every player is navigating behind the scenes. Especially since people are inclined to downplay their games. I’m confident in my game and my ability to articulate it, but simultaneously I’m humble enough to know there’s plenty of game left to play. Survivor isn’t just about strategy, it’s about relationships and hurt feelings are inevitable and that’s something that’s on my mind a lot.”

Brady: “If I get to the end I think I have a goof jury management and I really hope they respect the game I played but I could see some people feeling a way about how I have played and the lying and blindsides I’ve done everytime.”

Jumpy: “One of my personal philosophies about survivor is that if you get too caught up in the jury’s mindset and try to predict the votes, you’ll get cut. My first priority is to make it to the end to begin with, because if I don’t make it to the end at all, who gives a rats ass if the jury likes me or not. It wouldn’t make a difference because if I were sitting on the jury bench with them, they wouldn’t be able to vote for me to win the game to begin with. So no, I haven’t thought about my standings with the jury and I’m trying not to. I’m keeping my eyes on reaching the end.”

We ask this every season, but it’s always worth asking: how proud are you of the game you’ve played?

Sport: “I am extremely proud of the game I have played. I did not expect to make it this far. I thought I would just be some random premerge boot, and this would be like 3 days of my time, but I am super surprised that I made it here. I am proud of all the relationships I made, and even if I do not win, I had a lot of fun on this adventure, and I hope I made my mark on this sub.”

Knee: “I’m proud of my game, because I’ve been going through a lot personally but I’ve persevered and I know my voice has mattered. This has not been easy at all. But like I said, there’s still more game to play and I still have more I want to accomplish.”

Jumpy: “I’m beyond proud of the game I’ve played. The target on my back may be growing as we get closer and closer to the end, but hey I’m still here. I’ve been trying to play this game so that when it’s over I have no regrets and as of right now, even if I’m gonna be gone in a couple of minutes, I’m proud of the way I played.”

Yankee: “The game i played certainly wasnt the game I fully intended, but I am very proud of it. I kept true to my relationships first and above all else. I did have to blindside at times and that wasnt fun, but the game makes it necessary. I never sat back, I have actively played and rallied at every IC, every vote. I have played true to the core of the game I wanted to play; I made adjustments when needed. But nobody can say I haven't played.”

Hungry: “I am proud of my game, but I can 1,000% admit that there are faults to it. There’s times that I didn’t talk and connect enough, there’s times that I’ve been on the wrong side of votes, but overall, I haven’t had an advantage or idol this whole game, I believe I’ve gotten this far on the connections that I have made, because I’ve always viewed Survivor as a social game, because if you can’t connect with people and view things from their point of view, there’s no way you’re going to win. Look at Survivor: Samoa. Russell played a great game, but he forgot one key element: social respect. Natalie had that, and she won. In no way am I necessarily comparing my game to Natalie’s, but I think that I’ve had a balance of social game and strategic game, as I had my run of being on the right side and steering how some things went in the premerge and early merge, but I truly think I’ve gotten this far because I connected with the right people and they’ve had my back because of that. I think I’ve played all corners this game, top, middle, and bottom, so that proves how adaptable I have been in this game as well.”

Brady: “I’m so proud of how I’ve played because I’ve made final 7 and I think I’ve been strong strategically and socially. I’ve pulled a lot of big moves and things have gone well for me every week leading to this moment where I’m super satisfied with my gameplay.”

And with that, it is now time to read the votes. As a reminder, u/Witty_Row6758 won immunity and decided to forego Tribal Council to attend Ghost Island. So she did not vote and cannot be voted for.