Merge

Merge
Survivor Gameplay
Description	When two or more tribes become one.

A Merge or the Merge is when two or more tribes become one tribe and typically stay one tribe until the end of the game.

Overview

In a sixteen person season the merge typically happens when ten castaways remain and in an eighteen or twenty person season it usually ranges between twelve and ten castaways remaining. In rare cases the castaways will merge tribes with nine or eight castaways left in the game, but this typically will not happen. Often times the merge is the reason for strategy in the pre-merge and a big part in strategy when tribe switches happen. 

Late Merge

Survivor: China

On Day 18, ten castaways remained overall spread out with five members on the switched Xiong Mao tribe and five members on the switched Long tribe. Upon entering the challenge, each castaway believed they would merge with ten members left. For the first time in Survivor history, it was announced the tribes weren't merging at ten and that another tribal immunity challenge would take place. This took some people by surprise and left the merge at the final nine where one tribe was a majority and one tribe was a minority.

Early Merge

Survivor: All-Stars

On Day 20, eleven castaways remained overall between two remaining tribes. Upon entering the challenge it was unknown when the merge would be, but for the first time in Survivor history the tribes merged with eleven people remaining. This would be the second time where a merge landed one group of people in the majority and the other in the minority.

Merge by Season

Season	Merge Number	Merged Tribe
	With ten castaways remaining.
	With nine castaways remaining.
	With ten castaways remaining.
	With eleven castaways remaining.