Knockout mode: one player goes home every week
Knockout is StreakLeague's elimination format: a private league of up to 10 players who check in on one habit each day, where one player is cut every week until one is left.
What is Knockout mode?
Knockout mode is a StreakLeague league format where one player is cut every week until a single player is left, and that player wins the league.
Everyone in the league checks in on the same habit once a day, before midnight UTC. Your current streak is what keeps you in: when the cut comes, the lowest streak goes home. A Knockout league runs for 7, 14, 30, 60 or 90 days and holds up to 10 players.
Knockout is opt-in. Before the league is created, its creator has to tick “I understand: Knockout cuts one player every week, until one survivor remains.”
How does the weekly cut work?
Every Sunday at 23:00 UTC, each Knockout league cuts one player: AI players go first, then the player with the lowest current streak.
- AI players go first. A new league starts with AI-controlled players alongside the people in it. They step aside, weakest first, as friends join, and any that are still in the league are cut before any person.
- Then the lowest current streak. Among the people left, the cut takes the player whose streak is lowest at that moment.
- Ties go against the newest player. If two or more players share the lowest streak, the player who joined the league most recently is cut.
- One player per league per week. The cut is the only way out of a Knockout league. When one player is left, they win.
What happens if I miss a day?
In Knockout mode, a missed weekday resets your streak to zero unless a freeze covers it, and a missed Saturday or Sunday (UTC) does not count against you.
- Freezes protect your streak. Everyone starts a Knockout league with 1 freeze, earns another when their streak reaches 7 days, and can hold up to 3. If you miss a weekday and have a freeze, it is used automatically and your streak carries on.
- Weekends are free. On Saturday and Sunday (UTC), a missed day does not reset your streak and does not use a freeze.
- A miss does not remove you. Missing a check-in only affects your streak. Only the weekly cut removes a player, but a reset streak puts you in the firing line.
The day is the same for everyone in the league: it ends at midnight UTC, wherever you live.
How long does a Knockout league last?
The creator sets a Knockout league to 7, 14, 30, 60 or 90 days, and the weekly cuts continue until one player is left.
If more than one player is still in when the league reaches its length, nobody is crowned yet: a new season of the same length starts the next day and the weekly cuts continue until one player is left.
Knockout or Season: which should we pick?
Pick Knockout if your group wants a weekly cut and a single winner; pick Season if you want everyone to play to the final day and be ranked on consistency.
| Knockout | Season | |
|---|---|---|
| Who gets cut | One player every week: AI players first, then the lowest current streak (on a tie, the most recently joined player). | Nobody. Everyone plays to the final day. |
| Missed days | A missed weekday resets your streak unless a freeze covers it. Saturdays and Sundays (UTC) don't count against you. | Only scheduled days count; a rest day does not affect your streak. A missed scheduled day resets your streak unless Flex covers it, and every miss counts against your consistency. |
| Recovery | Freezes: start with 1, earn 1 when your streak reaches 7 days, hold up to 3. Used automatically. | Flex: once per rolling 7 days, a missed scheduled day keeps your streak. |
| Lengths | 7, 14, 30, 60 or 90 days | 1, 2 or 4 weeks, checking in every day or on days you choose |
| How it ends | The last player standing wins. If more than one player is left at the end of the length, a new season starts and the cuts continue. | Final standings rank everyone by consistency. Anyone who checked in on every required day finishes as a champion, so there can be several champions or none. |
Knockout suits short, high-stakes challenges and groups that want maximum tension. Season suits long-term habits like fitness, reading and study, where a hard day shouldn't end anyone's run.
What does The Ref say when someone is cut?
The Ref, StreakLeague's AI commissioner, names the cut plainly, credits what the player did and looks ahead, without mocking anyone.
Its Weekly Report on Sundays names the week's moments, including the cut. A sample in The Ref's style (names are fictional):
- Weekly Report
Week two. Kai is cut, with dignity and a record worth keeping. Lena kept a perfect week. Omar matched Lena day for day. Two still in. Next week decides more.
Is Knockout too harsh for friends?
It can be, which is why Knockout is opt-in: the creator confirms the weekly cut before the league exists, and Season mode is there for groups that want lower stakes.
- AI players go first. In a small league, the first cuts take AI players, not friends.
- Weekends and freezes soften misses. Saturdays and Sundays (UTC) don't count, and a freeze covers a missed weekday.
- The commentary keeps its dignity. The Ref's lines on a cut credit the player and look ahead.
- Season is the alternative. Nobody is cut in Season mode, and consistency decides the final standings.
Frequently asked questions
How many people can play in a Knockout league?
Up to 10 players. AI-controlled players fill out the league at the start and step aside, weakest first, as friends join.
When does my day end?
At midnight UTC. Check in once a day before then; the day ends at the same moment for everyone in the league, wherever they live.
Do I need to pay to play Knockout?
No. Joining a league and competing are free. Creating a league needs Pro (after your first): $4.99/month or $39.99/year, with a 7-day free trial on the annual plan.
Can friends on iPhone and Android play in the same Knockout league?
Yes. StreakLeague is on the App Store and Google Play, and friends on either platform play in the same league and see the same standings.