My Risk Grand Prix 2025 Journey – Speedruns, DNQs, and a Top 5 Finals Finish#
The Risk Grand Prix 2025 wasn’t a typical Risk tournament. Instead of 6-player Free-for-Alls or alliances, it centered on speedruns—squeezing every second out of each match. Over the course of four open rounds and two intense finals weeks, I battled to earn a coveted finals spot…and found myself finishing in the Top 5.
Below is the entire story of how I got there—every map, every run, every heartbreak, and every highlight.
Tournament Results Summary#
| Round/Week | Map | Placement / Time | Result | Video | Blog Post |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R1 | Classic | 1m46s | DNQ | Watch | Read More |
| R2 (Main) | Mont Saint-Michel | 7m22s | DNQ | Watch | Read More |
| R2 (Alternate) | Battle for the United States | 4m45s | DNQ | Watch | Read More |
| R3 | Canada (Secret Missions) | 28.21s | DNQ | Watch | Read More |
| R4 | Command Base C1X (1v1) | 1:27.13 | Qualified (70% Mark) | Watch | Read More |
| Finals Week 1 | River Town [Advanced] | 0:57.49 | Survived All Cuts | Watch | Read More |
| Finals Week 2 | Central America (70% Domination) | 1:58 | 5th Place Overall | Watch | Read More |
You can also find these results on my main 2025 Tournament Results page.
Round-by-Round Breakdown#
Round 1: Classic – A Brutal Introduction#
Map: Classic
Mode: World Domination (Fixed Cards)
Bots: 5 Expert
Key Twist: Speedrun from Auto Placement
I dove into Round 1 with high hopes, only to discover that finishing under two minutes was the absolute bare minimum for a chance to qualify. After over 500 attempts, my best run clocked in at 1:46—solid, but not close enough to the winning time of 1:10.
- Highs: Finally breaking below two minutes felt like an achievement.
- Lows: Watching the top speedrunners demolish the map nearly 30 seconds faster.
- Result: DNQ (Did Not Qualify). My times just weren’t cutting it.
Round 2 (Main): Mont Saint-Michel – Fog, Zombies, and Chaos#
Map: Mont Saint-Michel
Mode: Zombie Apocalypse (Progressive Cards, Fog, Blizzards, Unstable Portals)
Bots: 4 Expert (plus zombies)
Time: 7m22s
This map is infamous for tight corridors and punishing setups. Add zombies plus fog, and I struggled from the get-go. My run clocked a hefty 7m22s, which didn’t even come close to the 2-minute winning mark.
- Highs: Survived a few terrifying zombie surges by controlling choke points.
- Lows: Fog hidden behind portals made the final kills unpredictable.
- Result: Another DNQ.
Round 2 (Alternate): Battle for the United States – A Smoother Ride#
Map: Battle for the United States
Mode: Zombie Apocalypse (Fixed Cards, Fog, Blizzards, Unstable Portals)
Bots: 3 Expert (plus zombies)
Time: 4m45s
The tournament offered an alternate map that felt less overwhelming. I took advantage and put up a somewhat respectable 4m45s. Still nowhere near qualification, but definitely more manageable than Mont Saint-Michel.
- Highs: Better card trade timing; easier to manage with fewer bots.
- Lows: Zombies again proved unpredictable. One bot died too soon, costing me potential card trades.
- Result: DNQ. But I gained confidence in dealing with chaotic rules.
Round 3: Canada (Secret Missions) – Sub-30 Heartbreak#
Map: Canada
Mode: Secret Missions (Stable Portals)
Bots: 5 Expert
Time: 28.21s
It’s amazing how a game of Risk can be over in seconds with Secret Missions. I re-queued lobbies until I got favorable missions—and hammered out a 28.21s run. I was sure that would qualify…until someone posted 27.something.
- Highs: Achieving under 30 seconds felt like a triumph.
- Lows: Being outdone at the last moment left me stunned.
- Result: Another heartbreak and a DNQ. The margin for error was razor-thin.
Round 4: Command Base C1X – Precision 1v1 for the Win#
Map: Command Base C1X
Mode: World Domination (1v1, Balanced Blitz)
Bots: 1 Expert
Crucial Twist: 70% Domination Faster Than Full Clear
Time: 1:27.13
Finally—redemption. This round was all about tight routing: the moment I hit 70% of the board, my time was logged. I missed the fastest overall time by less than half a second, but crucially, I earned the last qualifying spot to the Finals.
- Highs: Piecing together the perfect route and controlling dice variance.
- Lows: Seeing the #1 time at 1:26.69, only 0.44s faster.
- Result: Qualified for Finals—mission accomplished!
Finals Week 1: River Town [Advanced] – Surviving 3 Elimination Rounds#
Map: River Town Advanced
Mode: Capitals Conquest (Progressive Cards, Blizzards, Stable Portals, True Random)
Bots: 5 Expert
Best Time: 0:57.49
The finals introduced a knockout every 48 hours, with the slowest time removed. I dropped a sub-minute run early (0:57.49) and stuck with it, barely scraping by each cut. By the end of Week 1, I was one of only five players left.
- Highs: Finally hitting under a minute in a capitals run felt surreal.
- Lows: True Random dice can ruin you in a single unlucky roll.
- Result: Survived all three cuts; advanced to Finals Week 2.
Finals Week 2: Central America – A 5th Place Finish#
Map: Central America
Mode: 70% Domination (Progressive Cards, Unstable Portals)
Bots: 5 Expert
Time: 1:58
Placement: 5th Place
This map was far from straightforward. The tight layout meant you had to pick an edge, blitz outward, and pray the bots didn’t ruin your path. With just 1:58, I fell short of the leaders, but still secured 5th place overall—my first finals, my first top-5 finish.
- Highs: Reaching finals at all felt like a triumph.
- Lows: I learned (after elimination) that some finalists kept re-rolling lobbies for favorable bot “personalities.”
- Result: 5th Overall in Risk Grand Prix 2025, surpassing my own expectations.
Reflections and Lessons Learned#
- Speedrunning Risk is 50% strategy, 50% RNG – Perfect splits and precise attacks only go so far if the dice or the bot AI decides otherwise.
- Corner or Edge Spawns – On cramped maps like Central America, controlling a safe corner can shave entire seconds off your route.
- Bot Personality Trick – Many top players re-created lobbies until they got “passive” AI. I discovered this too late, but it’s crucial knowledge for future events.
- Frame Rates – Faster FPS sometimes speeds up AI animations. Serious speedrunners optimize every last detail, including hardware settings.
Despite the heartbreaks in Rounds 1–3, I’m proud I persevered, qualified in Round 4, and fought my way to a Top 5 finish. Speedrunning Risk is a niche challenge, but there’s nothing like the adrenaline rush of nailing a perfect route in under a minute.
📌 Thanks for following along! Check out my Tournament Results Page for more details on all my competitions, and if you want to see speedruns and commentary as they happen, subscribe to my YouTube channel.
Here’s to the next Grand Prix—maybe I can climb even higher!