Twists:
- Mentor: Three former champions, Mario, Jonah and Cascade returned as mentors for our new 21 castaways.
- Idol Token System: The idol token system continued from $eason 15, with players able to obtain tokens in a variety of different ways including three tokens from solving a mystery phrase. Two tokens could form a micro idol valid until the Final 5 (which would negate one or two votes depending on a coin flip); three tokens could form a full idol valid until the Final 5; and four tokens could form a macro idol valid until the Final 6 which could be played on two castaways at once.
- Legacy Decision: Every castaway that was voted out up until (and including) the Final 5 was given a legacy decision - to give $2,000 in total to any player(s) left in the game. The person voted out at the Final 4 was given a different legacy decision, with the choice to make the Final Tribal Council a Final 3 or 2 (a standard endgame format of the $eries).
- Minority Handout: $1,000 would be given to each player voting in the minority or abstaining at any tribal council until the Final 9.
- Money Transfer: Every round until the Final 7, castaways could transfer up to $3,000 to other player(s) (with no limit to the amount they could receive).
- Pre-Jury $anctuary: At various points during the pre-merge phase, the pre-jurors were given opportunity to give (or take) $400 anonymously to (from) castaways of their choice.
- Cave of Corruption: The titular location of the season. Castaways had various opportunities to head to the Cave of Corruption where they could win money, clues to advantages or idol tokens. The Cave also served as a place of exile for castaways during certain challenges or tribal councils.
- Circle of Corruption
- Captain Election
Ca$taways:
Iconic Tribal Councils:
Opening $equence:
Game Log: