The FACEIT knife round vote lets Counter-Strike 2 players decide whether the pre-match knife fight stays in matchmaking. FACEIT announced the vote on X. Players can choose to keep the knife round or switch to random starting sides. The winning option will be tested at the start of FACEIT Season 10 on December 9. Voting closes on November 12, 2026.
This article covers how the current system works, what changes if the knife round goes, when the test starts, and which leagues are not affected.
FACEIT Knife Round Vote Explained
FACEIT has opened a community vote on the knife round in its Counter-Strike 2 matchmaking. Players can vote to keep it or remove it. If FACEIT removes the knife round, the game will pick starting sides at random.
Right now, both teams play a knife round before the match. The winning team chooses whether to start on the T side or the CT side. The team captain makes that choice in chat.
FACEIT announced the vote in a post on X. The option with the most votes will be tested at the start of FACEIT Season 10 on December 9, 2026. Voting closes on November 12, 2026.
ESEA League matches are not part of this change. All ESEA Leagues keep the standard knife round.
What Changes If FACEIT Removes the Knife Round
Without a knife round, the match would go straight to the first round once all players connect to the server. The game would assign the starting sides at random. No team would earn the right to choose.
Here is how the two options compare:
| Option | How starting sides are decided | Before the first round |
|---|---|---|
| Keep the knife round | The winning team picks T or CT | Both teams play a knife round |
| Remove the knife round | The game picks sides at random | The match starts once all players connect |
Why FACEIT Is Asking Players to Decide
FACEIT said players hold different views on the knife round. Some see it as part of competitive Counter-Strike. Others see it as about 2 minutes of dead time between joining the server and the first round.
The vote lets the community settle that split instead of FACEIT deciding alone.
Season 10 Start Date and Vote Deadline
These are the key dates and details:
- Vote closes: November 12, 2026
- FACEIT Season 10 starts: December 9, 2026
- Not affected: ESEA League matches
FACEIT will test the winning option at the Season 10 kickoff.
Earlier FACEIT Community Votes
This is not the first time FACEIT has let players decide on a matchmaking change. Players previously voted on an optional eighth map. Cache won first, and Cache joined the matchmaking pool when Season 8 launched on April 22.
Vertigo followed for Season 9. That vote drew almost 100,000 votes, and Vertigo went live on August 5. Players also voted to bring halftime all chat to the start of Season 9.
Players who want a say in the FACEIT knife round vote have until November 12, 2026. FACEIT will then test the result when Season 10 begins on December 9. ESEA League players will keep the knife round either way.
