Riot Games has announced that the VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT) EMEA Stage 2 Finals will now take place at the Olímpic Arena in Badalona, Barcelona, from 28-30 August. The event will mark VCT EMEA‘s first major arena event outside of Berlin, where the league has been headquartered since its inception.

The decision revises the previously announced location for the season-ending event: in January 2026, the publisher had confirmed Madrid as the host city for the playoffs. According to Riot, the change was necessitated by adjustments to venue planning, with Barcelona selected as an alternative while remaining in Spain.

The Olímpic Arena, originally constructed for the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games, has previously hosted a range of sporting and entertainment gatherings. For the first time, Challenger teams will be eligible to qualify into the VCT EMEA Playoffs and compete at the finals, expanding access to the league’s concluding stage beyond partnership franchise sides.

Global Esports Industry Week (GEIW) will return in 2026 with a bigger and bolder edition, taking place across 18–21 June in Cologne, Germany, alongside IEM Cologne. The schedule and details about ticket sales are available in this link.

Daniel Ringland, Head of VALORANT Esports EMEA, addressed the alteration in venue plans directly. “As planning progressed, we needed to make an adjustment to our original venue plans to ensure we could deliver the experience you expect from an event of this magnitude,” he said. “Staying in Spain was important to us, and the Olimpic Arena in the Barcelona area stood out as a venue that allows us to deliver the scale, atmosphere, and community experience we think you’re gonna love. Few crowds bring the passion and enthusiasm that the Spanish fans offer, and we’re confident the venue and the city will create a great environment for those in attendance.”

The August tournament will serve as the culmination of the VCT EMEA season. Beyond the competitive element, Riot has indicated that a range of on-site community activities and fan experiences will accompany the matches, though specific details regarding the full on-site offering and ticketing have not yet been released. Further announcements are expected in the coming months via official VCT EMEA channels.

The publisher will take the playoffs of its four premier VCT international leagues to new venues in 2026, hosting events in São Paulo, Chengdu, Busan, and now Barcelona. The initiative moves the Stage 2 playoffs away from their regular studio bases, aiming to bring high-stakes matches directly to international fan communities.

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