We tried something bold last week - and like all bold experiments, it didn’t quite go to plan. Alongside Full Checkpoint Coverage, we rolled out an Auction system to replace the old "Featured" models, giving users the power to bid Buzz to decide which models got "Boosted". The goal? More freedom, fairness, and fun.
But then the reality check hit: despite all the work we had done to prepare, Full Checkpoint Coverage just wasn’t stable on our current hardware. So, we had to roll everything back, returning to a fixed set of 200 popular Checkpoint versions.
Auctions: Redux
Today, we're re-releasing the Auction System, this time with a tighter focus, fewer complications, and a clear purpose: Let the community decide which 200 Checkpoints get generation support each week.
No more temperature-based model popularity*. No more "Boosted model" discounts or surcharges, just pure community choice.
How it Works Now
Every week, there are 200 available Checkpoint slots.
Users bid Buzz on their favorite models throughout the week. Models not currently enabled for generation will display a "Bid" button in place of the "Create" button (note: you can still bid on Checkpoints which are on the generator! A Bid button is always available at the top of the model page, or you can bid directly from the Auction system.)
At the end of the bidding period, the top 200 winning Checkpoint versions will be loaded into generation slots for the entire following week.
These selected models will also be Featured across the site in high-visibility areas.
The Auction system also has a number of Daily Auctions for other resource types (LoRAs, Embeddings, etc.). The top winning resources from each ecosystem will make it onto the Featured Models homeblock on the Civitai.com homepage, daily. (Subject to the usual homepage rules; PG, no POI).
Base models from each ecosystem will remain permanently available for use and do not occupy a bid slot (SDXL 1.0, SD3.5 Large, etc.)
Why the Change?
Supporting every Checkpoint at once just isn’t realistic for us (yet). So we’re taking a more sustainable, community-led route that lets you decide what stays in rotation - without burning down our datacenter.
This new version of Auctions is simple, stable, and scalable - we can gradually expand the number of slots over time. And most importantly, it's still driven by you.
Things to Keep in Mind!
"No more temperature-based model popularity"
The temperature indicator hasn’t actually disappeared completely - it’s just been moved to a less prominent spot on the model details page and is now purely informational. It doesn’t affect the Auction system, or generation, in any way. It simply reflects which models are currently being used the most.Expect a little turbulence at turnover time.
When the Auction period ends after a week of bidding (midnight UTC), we’ll be unloading 200 models from GPU VRAM and rapidly seeding in the new ones. Some of these are chunky files, so things might get a bit choppy during the switch. We’ll be monitoring closely to make sure everything settles quickly, and we may have to tweak this process if things get rough!Weekly Checkpoint Auctions / Daily Additional Resource Auctions.
Checkpoint Auctions happen on a weekly basis - one week of voting, one week of generation. Additional Resource (LoRAs, embeddings, etc.) Auctions happen daily to keep the Featured resources fresh!The 200 Checkpoint versions we currently have available will stay loaded until the first week's bidding has completed - current model coverage won't change immediately!
When Can I Start Bidding?
Auctions are now live, so get your Buzz ready and start championing your favorite Checkpoints!
If your favorite model doesn’t make it into the top 200 this week, there’s always next week. This isn’t a one-time sprint - it’s a weekly rhythm that’ll keep the platform fresh!