FMC under the Mistletoe 2025

A total of 254 competitors gathered across several host sites for FMC under the Mistletoe 2025, bringing together an international field across Multiple Cities, XW over the weekend of December 20 to December 21, 2025. Solvers travelled from distant corners of the globe, representing nations from Asia, Europe, North America, and South America to test their analytical skills in a dedicated multi-venue setup. The sheer geographical spread of the roster turned this specialised WCA competition into a truly worldwide affair, uniting enthusiasts who journeyed across regions to calculate optimal solutions on the classic Rubik's Cube.

China's Yiwei Liu (刘伊玮) navigated the deep field to claim first place overall in the 3x3x3 Fewest Moves discipline. Liu delivered a winning average of 21.67 moves, supported by an impressive best single solve of 20 moves. In a field consisting entirely of fewest-move attempts across two full rounds, maintaining that level of consistency required sharp focus through every individual hour-long attempt. Liu's calculated efficiency ultimately set the standard across the entire multi-city leaderboard, securing the top spot on the podium after an intense weekend of competitive speedcubing.

The battle for the remaining podium positions proved exceptionally fierce, resulting in a tie for the second position. Adam Marcellus Kelly of Denmark and Louis-Marie Ratto of France each registered an identical average of 22.00 moves. Both solvers travelled long distances to represent their respective countries, demonstrating world-class efficiency throughout the two-round tournament. Their matching 22.00 averages underscored just how tight the margins were at the upper end of the final standings.

Beyond his podium finish, Louis-Marie Ratto achieved a major milestone during the competition by setting a new French national record average of 20.67 moves, alongside a standout single attempt of 19 moves. His performances in the event demonstrated remarkable technical mastery, highlighting the growing standard of play in the discipline. Speed cubing enthusiasts following the 3x3 results witnessed Ratto consistently break down complex scrambles into compact, highly efficient step sequences.

United States competitors also made strong journeys to the event, producing several noteworthy attempts on the scoreboards. Walker Welch posted an average of 23.00 moves and a single of 20 moves, matching the best single recorded by the tournament winner. Fellow American Ryan Pilat logged a 22.33 average with a best single solve of 21 moves. Cade Beck completed an average of 35.00 moves with a best single of 26, while Jaden Thompson recorded an average of 38.67 moves and a single of 33, and Samuel Martin registered a single DNF alongside a DNF average.

The international contingent in this cubing competition extended well beyond the podium finishers, with competitors travelling from several different continents to take part in FMC under the Mistletoe 2025. Dunhui Xiao (肖敦慧) of Germany turned in an average of 23.67 moves with a single of 22. Representing South America, Andrés Hisashi Suzuki Cabrera of Peru travelled to deliver an average of 34.00 moves and a single solve of 30 moves, adding further global breadth to the final classification.

Other notable international participants included Shawn Lee Zhi Xuan (李致轩) of Malaysia, who achieved a single result of 28 moves alongside a DNF average. Dan Boharon of Israel likewise made the trip to log a single of 29 moves and a DNF average. The willingness of competitors from diverse homelands to travel and compete in this single-discipline contest highlighted the global appeal of efficiency-based solving.

When the final calculations concluded, the medal distribution reflected the wide travel patterns of the weekend, with China, Denmark, and France each taking one podium position. Spanning two rounds across multiple venues in Multiple Cities, XW, FMC under the Mistletoe 2025 delivered an exacting test of Rubik's Cube analysis, setting a high standard of precision as solvers look ahead to the next competitive season.