The Survivor 44 Merge appears to be taking place during the next episode.
The promo released for Survivor 44, Episode 6, heavily hints at that merge.
With the elimination of Matthew, just 12 people remain in the competition.
As a reminder, Matthew had to tap out due to his shoulder injury.
While he tried to play through the pain, Day 11 was as far as Matthew could take it.
For Survivor fans with questions about it, here are some spoilers about his Immunity Idol.
Survivor 44, Episode 6 TV promo
CBS has a TV promo for the April 5 episode of the show.
In the released footage, all 12 castaways are shown heading to Tribal Council together.
Another scene in the promo has people exchanging hugs as they arrive on one beach.
There are many questions about what will happen next, but it certainly looks like the Survivor 44 Merge is at hand.
Survivor synopsis for the new episode
“The game is about to change as tribes pack their bags and prepare to meet each other on the same beach. Also, one castaway risks getting caught up in their own web of lies,” reads the full synopsis for the April 5 episode of Survivor.
It’s also important to note that the word “merge” doesn’t come up in the description for the new episode. So the producers may pull a fast one on the viewers.
Below is an image released for the episode, showing the castaways drawing something (likely rocks) from a bag. This could be how they select teams for an Immunity Challenge, with half of the castaways being safe ahead of a big vote.
The official Survivor 44 Merge may not happen until someone else gets voted out of the game. So this image could also be for a reward feast that only some of them get to enjoy.
There has not been an update on whether or not Matthew will get invited back for a new season of the show.
Bruce Perrault got invited back after he had to exit due to his medical emergency from the season premiere.
Jeff Probst shared that news during an episode of his new Survivor podcast.
Another fact that Jeff shared is that Survivor castaways are allowed to cheat. That revelation caught some fans off-guard.
Jeff also shared that the producers will examine the sit-out rules after what took place with Claire Rafson.
Survivor 44 airs Wednesdays at 8/7c on CBS.