[3][4] Following the basic premise of other international versions of the format, it features a group of contestants who are marooned in an isolated location, where they must provide food, water, fire, and shelter for themselves.
The players are split into several "tribes", are taken to a remote isolated location and are forced to live off the land with meager supplies for an extended period of time.
Frequent physical and mental challenges are used to pit the teams against each other for rewards, such as food or luxuries, or for "immunity", forcing the other tribe to attend "Tribal Council", where they must vote off one of their players.
The jurors then vote for a player to earn the title of "Sole Survivor" and the grand prize of NZ$250,000 ($100,000 in the first season).
The first season of the show was announced on 24 February 2016, the same day that applications for the series opened.