This season introduced a new feature wherein contestants who are voted out have an option to take a boat to the titular "Edge of Extinction" rather than leave the game permanently.

Castaways on the Edge of Extinction were given regular correspondence by way of coded maps and letters, which led to the location of daily rice rations and advantages in the game.

[8] Benjamin “Coach” Wade from Tocantins, Heroes vs. Villains, and South Pacific was also asked back by producers but ultimately turned down the offer, saying he felt it was a waste to play on a season with newbies.

After the merge, the Kama majority alliance voted out Joe before turning on each other, leading to a series of short-term coalitions to eliminate common threats, including David and Kelley.

Chris said that even though he was only in the game for 13 days, he made big moves by opting to go into the fire-making challenge, use of multiple idols, and making great social bonds with the people on Edge of Extinction.

The tribes were given a few minutes to retrieve supplies off a boat before paddling to their camps; Keith from Manu struggled with swimming, while Ron from Kama found a secret advantage.

After Keith struggled with swimming and tossing the rings for Manu, Kama won the challenge and chose the fishing gear.

After his elimination, Keith struggled to make a decision about remaining in the game, while Reem considered quitting on the Edge of Extinction due to the isolation.

The next morning, they followed a map up a long set of stairs to find a day's worth of rice, and realized that they would have to make the climb daily to get food.

At the Edge of Extinction, Chris was confronted by Reem and Keith, both of whom he helped vote out, but he later earned their respect by catching fish.

Wardog was the swing vote; at Tribal Council, he joined Lauren and Kelley to eliminate Rick, who took the offer to go to the Edge of Extinction.

Kama won the challenge, sending Lesu and Manu to a joint Tribal Council to eliminate a single castaway.

At Lesu, Wardog suggested targeting Wendy in hopes that her tribemates would not risk going to a lottery tiebreaker to save her, though Kelley and Lauren were again frustrated by his refusal to listen to anyone else's ideas.

Before the tiebreaker ballot, Eric, Gavin, and Victoria conferred with Lesu and decided to band together, unanimously eliminating Wendy on the revote.

Wendy went to the Edge of Extinction; the following morning, the near-extinct castaways were instructed to board a boat to return to the game.

After the merged tribe, Vata, departed for a celebratory feast, the near-extinct castaways were given the chance to return to the Edge of Extinction to await a second re-entry challenge.

Back at camp, David agreed to reunite with Kelley's alliance, but Rick — upset over having been voted out by them on the Lesu tribe — refused to do so, preferring to stick with the Kama group.

At the Edge of Extinction, a coded note led Aubry to two advantages: a pole with rope as practice for the next re-entry challenge, and an extra vote to assign to another player.

Rick suggested that the remaining Lesu members, with Ron and Julie, turn on Julia and Aurora, who he felt were running the game.

David and Rick decided to target the tight alliance of Kelley, Lauren and Wardog, and tried to recruit Aurora, Julie, Victoria and Ron.

At Tribal Council, Wardog's new plan held strong and Kelley was blindsided; she went to the Edge of Extinction, where she told the others about her and Lauren's idols.

Rick continued his search and found a clue that told him the idol was hidden in a tree above the tribe's shelter; he retrieved it that night while his tribemates slept.

Meanwhile, Victoria plotted to work with Rick because she felt Julie and Lauren would realize they had a better shot beating Chris in the end than her or Gavin.

He helped Gavin and Julie practice making fire, but at Tribal Council, he decided to give immunity to both of them so that he could face Rick in the fire-making challenge himself.

Survivor: Edge of Extinction received negative reviews due to the poorly balanced editing, the Edge of Extinction twist, and the abundance of idols and advantages at the end of the season that helped contribute to the controversial outcome in Chris Underwood, who was voted out on Day 8 and didn't return to the game until Day 35, being crowned the champion of the season.

[40] Survivor blogger and former contestant Stephen Fishbach spoke negatively about the season, stating about Underwood's victory, "On paper, it seems impossible, even insulting.

"[41] Fishbach also panned the editing at the conclusion of the season, as many of the cast members received less screen time than the four returning players, Devens, and at the finale, Underwood.

He was voted out, only played 13 out of 39 days, and had what other players said was a 'monumental' advantage of getting to become friends with the entire jury in a non-game setting...doesn't really seem fair."

"[45] Daniel George of Surviving Tribal also lambasted the Edge of Extinction twist, giving seven reasons why it was a failure in his review of the season.

[47][48][49] In 2020, Survivor fan site "Purple Rock Podcast" ranked this season 26th out of 40 saying that the "gimmick employed here always seemed destined for failure.