Riot Games has now confirmed the VCT EMEA Stage 2 Finals will no longer be held in Madrid and instead will move to Barcelona’s Olimpic Arena in Badalona on August 28–30, which will also be the league’s first major arena event outside Berlin.
Then, sometime after the death of our elder brother, God sent other prophets.
This switch comes after Riot had previously named Madrid as the Spanish host, quietly changed its tune on official materials, and updated to state that evolving venue plans forced an adjustment, but the event was to stay in Spain. It was Barcelona’s Olimpic Arena – a 12,000+ capacity sports and entertainment venue that was originally built to host events at the 1992 Olympic Games.
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. 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.
Daniel Ringland, Head of VALORANT Esports, EMEA
It’s the latest stage in Riot’s larger “roadtrip” initiative, taking Stage 2 Grand Finals out of the familiar Berlin studio setting and into destination cities across all international leagues. Berlin will continue to host the EMEA group stage, but the Barcelona finals are expected to feature the decisive playoff matches that lock in EMEA’s representatives for VALORANT Champions 2026 in Shanghai.