Riot’s new Berlin stage could fix VCT EMEA and LEC scheduling issues

Naerlyn Published May 30, 2026

Riot Games will open a second stage in their EMEA arena in Berlin. So far, both League of Legends and VALORANT used the venue for their weekly matches, which has resulted in scheduling conflicts for both games. After regional play returns from Masters London and the Mid-Season Invitational, the two games will be able to hold their games simultaneously.

However, only the original stage (named the Arena Stage) will be able to welcome a live audience. The new one, the Studio Stage, will be broadcast-only. Here’s what this change implies for both games.

Riot opens a second stage to the EMEA Arena

What this means for the VCT EMEA

So far, the European VALORANT matches were held weekly from Wednesday to Friday until playoffs. Then, Riot tried to slot in the next stage during LEC roadshows or the one-week break following the regular season.

Now, the organizer will reveal the schedule after Masters London, but the plan is for the VCT EMEA to play more games and to play on weekends. Weekday matches will supposedly remain in the arena, while weekend games will take place in the studio without a live audience.

Note: Riot’s wording makes it unclear whether weekday matches will continue throughout Stage 2.

As this is also a cost-cutting measure, Riot wants to use these savings to fund roadshows for VALORANT as well. For starters, the VCT EMEA Stage 2 Finals will take place in the Olímpic Arena in Barcelona from August 28 to 30. Beforehand, teams will play one week of the playoffs on the Arena stage.

VALORANT and LoL matches will now be split between the Berlin Arena and Studio Stages. Image source: Wojciech Wandzel / Riot Games

What this means for the LEC

The consequences for the LEC aren’t clear so far. In 2025, the community was unhappy about a Summer split that was short and simultaneously filled with breaks and suboptimal match days.

The LEC Summer 2025 had:

• A 4-week regular season. The final week only had matches on Monday and Tuesday.
• Afterwards, a one-week break before playoffs.
• Playoffs went on for two weeks, then one week of hiatus, then the finals weekend.

The community expressed strong backlash regarding these decisions, as the weekday matches and the first break were there to accommodate for the VCT 2025.

With the addition of a new stage in the venue, Riot will be able to host the VCT EMEA playoffs without moving League around. However, that doesn’t guarantee that the LEC will be the one in the arena then.

Additionally, Riot started holding the Monday matches without an audience for Spring 2026. Moving forward, these matches will likely take place in the studio.

Featured image source: Wojciech Wandzel / Riot Games