The VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT) EMEA represents the pinnacle of competitive VALORANT across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. As a Tier 1 league, it’s one of the most competitive and closely followed circuits in the world, with matches played offline every week. The VCT EMEA is played in the Riot Games Arena in Berlin, Germany.

Berlin is no stranger to top-level EMEA esports. In fact, Riot Games also hosts the League of Legends EMEA Championship (LEC) in the very same venue. The current arena is a recent upgrade — a major renovation completed in late 2023 to modernize the former LEC Studio. This transformation was specifically undertaken to accommodate both VCT EMEA and the LEC, as well as future international events like the 2024 League of Legends World Championship.

Before the Riot Games Arena, the LEC had been held for years at the classic LEC Studio, while the first-ever edition of VCT EMEA was hosted at Messe Berlin Charlottenburg.

A New Arena — Not Without Its Issues

With the revamped LEC Studio rebranded as the Riot Games Arena, the publisher officially brought together Tier 1 competitions from its two flagship titles under one roof. The LEC takes place over the weekend and into Mondays, while VCT EMEA matches are held on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays.

However, this dual-league setup has not come without complications — particularly in terms of logistics and technical infrastructure. The most significant problems began surfacing early in the 2025 competitive season, when both leagues — but especially VCT — were frequently interrupted by technical pauses. During Stage 1 of the VALORANT competition, issues began to pile up, affecting not only the viewing experience for fans but also the competitive integrity for players. Numerous hardware-related complaints emerged, particularly concerning the PCs used on-site.

In response, Riot Games was forced to shift several VCT EMEA matches online in order to keep the competition running smoothly while solutions were implemented. The publisher then invested in new computers, upgraded servers, and initiated playtesting sessions to allow players to identify and report technical issues before going live.

Limited Seating, Limitless Ambition

Despite these improvements, some criticisms remain — notably regarding the venue’s seating capacity. With only 210 seats available, the Riot Games Arena is significantly smaller than other venues used for international esports. This limited capacity restricts the live atmosphere, particularly when compared to larger venues that have hosted other VALORANT and League of Legends events. In fact, the LEC finals are held in other arenas across Europe with far more seats. On the other hand, the VCT finals are not held outside the arena.

Still, Riot Games’ commitment to a central, dedicated European hub for both VALORANT and LoL signals its long-term investment in the EMEA region. While the Riot Games Arena has faced a rocky debut year, it remains a symbol of the publisher’s ambition to unify its top-tier competitive offerings.