Riot has announced that the final weekend of VCT EMEA Stage 2 will be heading to Barcelona. This marks the first time that VCT EMEA will leave its basecamp in Berlin and host an event in a major venue.

The Stage 2 finals will be held from August 28-30 at the Olimpic Arena in Badalona, part of the greater Barcelona metropolitan area. The arena, built in 1992 for the Barcelona Olympic Games, is a multi-sport arena primarily used for basketball. Its capacity of over 12,000 greatly outnumbers the 210-seat capacity at the Riot Games Arena, where VCT EMEA matches are currently held.

This year's Stage 2 events will look different globally. Four of the region's best Challengers teams will compete in the Stage 2 play-ins, competing against the region's remaining eight VCT teams for four spots in the playoffs.

With four of the region's best Challengers teams having the opportunity to earn a spot in the Stage 2 play-ins, Tier 2 teams have the opportunity to compete in the Stage 2 playoffs and earn a spot at Champions Shanghai.

“Bringing a major live event to fans has been a long-term focus for the team, so we're really excited to host the Stage 2 Finals in Spain later this year,” said Daniel Ringland, Head of VALORANT Esports, EMEA. “The Spanish VALORANT community is known for its passion and energy, and we can't wait to see that atmosphere elevate one of the biggest moments of the VALORANT EMEA calendar year.”