Riot adds Berlin Studio Stage for expanded VCT EMEA

Riot Games has built a broadcast-only Studio Stage inside the Riot Games Arena in Berlin to host the expanded VCT EMEA regular season beginning July 15, 2026. The addition allows VALORANT matches to stream at the same time as the League of Legends EMEA Championship from the same facility.

The Studio Stage is a second custom broadcast environment created to handle a higher number of fixtures after Riot integrated regional Challengers League teams into VCT EMEA’s top-flight schedule. The space is designed for broadcast production and digital screen layouts and will operate without live ticket sales.

The new setup establishes a dual-broadcast infrastructure that lets the LEC and VCT EMEA run shows concurrently from the Riot Games Arena. Live audiences will continue to attend events on the arena’s main stage, which has been rebranded as the Arena Stage.

VCT EMEA Stage 2 will play its opening regular-season weeks on the Studio Stage and then move to the Arena Stage for a single week of playoffs. By shifting most regular-season production to the studio, Riot is reallocating live-event resources toward international touring.

Riot confirmed the VCT EMEA Stage 2 Finals will be held in Barcelona, the first time the regional VALORANT finale leaves the Berlin facility. The company also plans to continue funding high-visibility LEC Roadtrips through 2027.

The technical expansion in Berlin comes ahead of a busy summer for Riot’s competitive calendar. Global Esports Industry Week will run June 18–21, 2026, in Cologne alongside IEM Cologne. Final scheduling for VCT EMEA Stage 2 will be set after VALORANT Masters London at the Copper Box Arena, which runs June 6–21, 2026.

To support Masters London, Riot Games Music partnered with British rapper Che Lingo on a promotional cinematic titled “Chaos in the House.” Riot’s digital music catalog has surpassed 700 million streams.