Who went home on Survivor 49 episode 4? Details explored

The fourth episode of Survivor 49, titled “Go Kick Rocks, Bro,” aired on October 15, 2025, and opened with Jeff Probst instructing the castaways to “drop your buffs,” signaling a major tribe swap that reshaped the competition.

Matt Williams was the fourth contestant eliminated, following his tribe’s loss at the Immunity Challenge and a divided vote at Tribal Council.

The swap reorganized the 14 remaining players into two new tribes of seven, creating new alliances and directly influencing the outcome of the night’s vote.

Matt Williams was eliminated after the tribe swap on Survivor 49 

Tribe swap and new arrangements

At the start of the episode, Jeff Probst announced a swap earlier than expected due to Jake Latimer’s medical evacuation in the previous episode.

The three original tribes were restructured into two: Kele and Hina. The new Kele tribe consisted of Alex Moore from the original Kele, Sage Ahrens-Nichols and Shannon Fairweather from Uli, and MC Chukwujekwu, Kristina Mills, Sophie Segreti, and Steven Ramm from Hina.

The new Hina tribe included Sophi Balerdi from Kele, Jason Treul and Matt Williams from the original Hina, and Jawan Pitts, Nate Moore, Rizo Velovic, and Savannah Louie from Uli.

The swap brought contrasting conditions between camps. Hina retained the supplies they had previously earned, while Kele remained without rewards after repeated losses.

Sophi expressed relief at joining a tribe with more resources and sought to build ties with the original Uli members, using their shared numerical advantage over former Hina players as leverage for upcoming votes.

Dynamics after the swap

At the new Hina camp, Sophi approached Savannah and Nate from the original Uli, positioning herself as an additional number for their alliance.

Savannah and Nate responded positively, forming early bonds with her. Meanwhile, Jason and Matt, the two original Hina members on the new tribe, found themselves in a minority position.

Jason tried to establish new relationships by speaking openly with Savannah, while Matt focused on forming a strategic plan with Jawan.

On the Kele tribe, Shannon began integrating with her new tribemates through conversations with Kristina, while Sage observed from a distance.

Steven, however, became wary of Shannon’s growing influence within the tribe. Kristina’s developing relationship with Shannon added another layer to the group’s internal alignment, setting up possible future conflicts.

Immunity challenge

The tribes competed in a water-based Immunity Challenge that involved retrieving and stacking large floating cubes. The winning tribe would receive fruit and flint.

Kele gained an early lead on land after MC balanced efficiently on the beam section, while Matt from Hina fell multiple times, costing his tribe time.

In the final stacking portion, MC helped position the last blocks, securing Kele’s first Immunity victory of the season. As a result, Hina went to Tribal Council.

Tribal council and elimination

At Hina, Rizo’s previously inactive Beware Advantage became active after their loss, allowing him to regain his vote. The original Uli members, Rizo, Nate, Jawan, and Savannah, discussed targeting either Matt or Jason, with Sophi joining their decision.

Matt proposed voting for Sophi as a weaker link and also suggested a potential blindside of Nate, but these plans circulated back to the majority, reducing his trust level.

Jason told the tribe he might use his “Shot in the Dark” for safety, but ultimately did not. At Tribal Council, Jeff Probst read the votes: one for Nate, one for Jason, and four for Matt, confirming his elimination.

Matt’s exit marked the first vote of the merged Hina tribe and the end of his “anybody but me” gameplay approach.

Stay tuned for more updates.