The first episode of the new season will pair four survivalists — two men and two women — into two teams for a Battle of the Sexes

By now, everyone knows the formula for Naked and Afraid.

Two survivalists — a man and a woman — are stripped of all their clothes and dropped into a punishing location. There, they must brave the elements and survive for 21 days. They hunt for food, find fresh water, build shelters and try to work together as a team. As the show enters season 10, contestants generally know exactly what to expect out of their adventure.

Get push notifications with news, features and more.

Until now.

For the season premiere airing on March 3, the long-running Discovery channel mixes things up — to the visible shock of the participants.

The two-hour episode has four survivalists — two men and two women. The men are marooned in one part of the jungle while women are dropped on a beach about three miles away. Neither pair is aware of the other pair’s existence — although we’re willing to bet that they will meet up at some point.

Image zoom Discovery Channel

While the show’s spinoff, Naked and Afraid XL, has had same-sex teams, this is the first time that the flagship show tries it — and the participants’ surprise is evident. An exclusive clip is above.

“I hope my partner is good looking,” one of the unsuspecting men tells the camera as the adventure begins, “because I only like blondes, brunettes, redheads and chicks with dyed hair.” Seconds later, he meets his partner — another man.

When the two naked men meet up by a waterfall, they laugh nervously, while making a lot of comments about “chicks.” They shake hands. “No offense, but you’re the ugliest woman I’ve ever seen,” one of the participants says.

Three miles to the northeast, the women meet up. “I wasn’t expecting a female,” one of the survivalists says. While the women are clearly shocked at the show’s twist, they embrace before beginning the adventure.

Image zoom Discovery Channel

The Discovery Channel tells PEOPLE that the 10th season is full of twists. Survivalists will be put into the most challenging locations to date — including the frozen tundra of Alaska, an alligator-infested swamp in Florida and an African Kill Zone where they are stalked by lions, dozens of crocodiles and a herd of 100 elephants.

This season also features Naked and Afraid’s first threesome challenge (two girls and a guy) and the first couple to take on this challenge.