Netflix's 'Outlast: the Jungle' Brings the Heat as Contestants Vie for $1 Million

There's nothing quite like sitting down to watch an old-school survivalist show. If you're a fan of Survivor or Alone, you already know the thrill of watching contestants work against the elements to survive the impossible and battle for the win.

Outlast brings the vibe of a survivalist show to remote locations that challenge contestants, with a twist: the team wins, rather than the individual.

With the booming success of the original Outlast, the team at Netflix is introducing a new challenge: Outlast: the Jungle. This version drops contestants into the heart of a tropical locale, rather than a frozen one, and pits them against the heat, the bugs, and all the things that make the tropics a difficult place to survive.

Here's what we know about the filming location at the heart of Outlast: the Jungle.

Survivor has brought people all over the world to survive in tropical destinations, so where do you bring the Outlast contestants for the teams to compete, where viewers won't feel like it's a copy and paste?

Only one location comes to mind.

According to A27, producers brought the contestants to Panama, Bocas del Toro, and the Pearl Islands. This Central American tropical location puts contestants close to the border with Costa Rica on Panama's Northeastern coast, which faces the Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico.

Like Costa Rica, the area is comprised of low mountains, thick, dense jungles, and broad sandy beaches that are home to a diverse variety of marine life.

The outlet notes that filming was completed between May and April 2026, so contestants left the tropical destination not long before its air date in mid-June 2026.

But all of this begs one question. After having seen how hard contestants had it for Outlast's Alaskan competition, who would sign up to try it all but with the added danger of tropical bugs and the sweltering heat?

Turns out, Netflix had no trouble rounding up 16 new victims. Sorry, contestants.

These 16 people will compete for a $1 million prize, working with their teammates for the big "W."

These contestants include (per Entertainment Weekly):

• Abby Chu: Non-Profit Travel Coordinator and Dive Master
• Ben Orndorff: A fmr Department of Defense Civilian
• Braxton Fish: Waiter and Outdoor Adventure Vlogger
• Brett Johnson: Boar Hunter and Commercial Fisherman
• Dave Cecchini: Content Creator and Model
• Halle Cooley: Model, Jiu Jitsu Manager and Barrel Racer
• Leiya Pillitteri: Tattoo Artist and Fisherwoman

• Maddy Jones: Photographer
• Marshall Strain: General Contractor
• Mary Wedell: Farmhand
• Morgan Colburn: Marketing and Sales Professional
• Nikki Hru: Boxer and Actress
• Pharoah Gayles: Wildlife Educator
• Sarah Awad: Sales Representative
• Sean Jacobs: Fitness Business Owner
• Wes Saunders: Former Pittsburgh Steeler and Wellness Consultant.

The first six episodes premiere June 10, 2026, while the remaining two episodes will land on Netflix on June 17, 2026. This gives people a chance to get hyped about the final two; or it gives Netflix a chance to torture fans while they wait for the finale, depending on your perspective, of course.