VCT EMEA Stage 2 playoffs finals moved to Barcelona’s Olímpic Arena

Following the previously announced roadshows for all regions, VCT EMEA Stage 2 playoffs are now headed to the Olímpic Arena in Barcelona, Spain, in late August. Despite the previous announcement of a Madrid finals, the cross-country switch will now see EMEA’s first arena event land in the 12.5k seater Badalona stadium.

VCT EMEA Stage 2 heads to Barcelona’s Olímpic Arena

In its first-ever arena event, the VCT EMEA will see its Stage 2 playoffs take place in the Olímpic Arena in Barcelona from August 28th to 30th. The arena — found in the greater Barcelona city of Badalona — holds up to 12,500 spectators and was built ahead of the ‘92 Barcelona Summer Olympics.

Primarily used for basketball, the Olímpic Arena has hosted a raft of massive musical acts over the years, including the likes of Bruno Mars, Coldplay, Arctic Monkeys, and Bruce Springsteen.

The venue is also set to host this month’s League of Legends EMEA Champions (LEC) Versus finals in the league’s first roadshow of the year, hosted by former-VCT org Movistar KOI and the team’s hugely popular owner Ibai Llanos.

Assuming a playoff structure similar to that of Stage 2 last year, the three-day event is likely to feature four separate matchups.

In a double-elimination bracket, Friday 28th would host the upper final and the penultimate lower bracket series; both best-of-three. Then, on Saturday 29th, a best-of-five lower final would take place.

Finally, the grand final on August 30th, another BO5, will crown the EMEA Stage 2 winner and determine which team will represent the region as number one seed heading to VALORANT Champions Shanghai.

The exact format details are yet to be revealed, and will take into account the wider Stage 2 changes to include Challengers sides. Additionally, the league will also later outline ‘a range of VALORANT community experiences and activities built around the game we all love, to make the event even more special,’ per a release.

On the announcement, Daniel Ringland, Head of VALORANT Esports EMEA, said: “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.”