QiYi MoFangGe Science and Technology Industrial Co. is a major Chinese manufacturer of speedcubes and twisty puzzles. Under the names QiYi, MoFangGe, X-Man Design, and through the The Valk collaboration, they produce everything from beginner-friendly budget cubes to high-end flagships that have been used for world records.

History & reputation

• Premium line roots. QiYi emerged in the mid-2010s as a higher-quality alternative to generic “toy store” cubes, quickly gaining a reputation for good performance at low prices.

• Collab with Mats Valk. In 2016, QiYi teamed up with Mats Valk to launch The Valk brand, with the Valk 3 designed to his specs. The cube became extremely popular among top speedcubers and was used for world-record solves.

• X-Man Design. The X-Man Design line is QiYi’s premium competition range and has produced several record-breaking puzzles.

• Modern era. By the 2020s, QiYi is widely seen as one of the “big three” alongside MoYu and GAN. Their puzzles are often recommended as some of the best budget and mid-range options, and the X-Man Tornado V3 has been used for 3×3 average world records.

Overall, QiYi’s reputation is “great value in the budget segment, very solid in mid/high tier.”

Main lines & specialisation

• Budget / first proper cube
  Series like QiYi Warrior / Sail, QiYi MS and basic NxN lines: very affordable yet decent-turning cubes, often used in schools and as a first speedcube.

• Mid-range / “almost flagships”
  Lines such as QiYi MS / MP and better magnetic NxN, Pyraminx, Skewb, Megaminx, Square-1, Clock, etc. Popular among hobbyists who want quality without flagship pricing.

• Premium ranges

  • X-Man Design – QiYi’s competition-oriented sub-brand (Tornado V3, Volt, Shadow, etc.), with multiple world-class results and records.

  • The Valk – developed together with Mats Valk (Valk 3/4/5), long considered a benchmark for stability and control on 3×3, 4×4, 5×5.

• Shape-mods & experimental puzzles
  QiYi/MoFangGe also produces a wide range of shape-mods, mirror cubes, big cubes and experimental twisty puzzles, so their catalogue goes well beyond just classic 3×3s.

Who QiYi is mainly for

• Beginners & parents – thanks to very good budget lines (Warrior, QiYi MS, basic NxN):
  low price, bright colours, and much better turning than toy-store cubes.

• Intermediates & competitors – via X-Man Design and Valk series:
  puzzles with strong stability and serious competition potential.

• Collectors – because of the many formats, colour schemes and special series.

If GAN is often seen as “premium/high-tech with lots of gimmicks,” QiYi feels more like a wide spectrum from simple learning cubes to serious competition tools, with very friendly pricing.

Notable hits & common criticisms

• Widely praised:

  • QiYi MS / MP lines as excellent value-for-money “true speedcubes”;

  • X-Man Tornado V3 for its speed/control balance and record-level performance;

  • The Valk cubes for stability and a classic flagship feel.

• Criticised sometimes for:

  • inconsistent factory setup/grease on some early batches (needed retuning to shine);

  • confusing naming — many overlapping series make it hard for new buyers to see what is budget vs mid vs flagship.

Fun facts

• QiYi / X-Man and The Valk cubes have been used for multiple world-record solves across events (3×3, 4×4, 5×5, Square-1, etc.).

• The brand is often credited with raising the bar for budget cubes — after their success, even cheap cubes from other brands had to become genuinely fast and often magnetic to stay competitive.