Riot Games has announced on Friday, May 29th, a new production setup for the
Riot Games Arena in Berlin that will change how VCT EMEA and
the LEC are operated. Starting with VCT EMEA Stage 2, coming in July, the venue will use a
two-stage system designed to support overlapping broadcasts.
The Riot Games Arena in Berlin will soon include both the existing Arena Stage and a new Studio Stage, which will allow VCT EMEA and the LEC to run simultaneously from the same venue. The familiar Arena Stage will continue hosting ticketed live matches, while the new Studio Stage will function as a broadcast-only space — no live audience for its matches.
Riot said that by streamlining studio operations in Berlin, it’s “doubling down on massive regional live event experiences,” ensuring “major investments” in upcoming events like VCT EMEA Stage 2 Finals in Barcelona.
That means attending fans in Berlin will
only be able to attend matches taking place on the Arena Stage, while a portion of VCT EMEA Group Stage and Play-In games, as well as one week of LEC matches, will move to the Studio Stage and be broadcast without a crowd. Riot said the structure is intended to create “
better viewing windows” and to give broadcast teams more flexibility to adapt productions across both
League of Legends and
VALORANT broadcasts.
The changes arrive alongside the expansion of VCT EMEA Stage 2, which will include more weekend days and Challenger teams, with additional match days too.
What the Studio Stage means for VCT and LEC broadcasts
Riot said the additional stage was built to support the growing number of matches across both its esports circuits in EMEA. With Challenger teams joining Stage 2, the company needed more production capacity in Berlin to avoid scheduling conflicts between VALORANT and League broadcasts. So — in short — the newly arranged Arena allows both leagues to operate at the same time while keeping all matches on official broadcast channels.
The Berlin venue had already gone
through major changes back in 2024, when the former LEC Studio was relaunched as the current Riot Games Arena, designed to switch stage settings to accommodate both
League and
VALORANT setups. The renovation focused heavily on the in-person experience inside the venue, with Riot increasing seating capacity, redesigning the audience layout, adding co-streaming booths, and updating the media facilities — the newly announced Studio Stage shifts more of that focus toward broadcast operations.
While the Arena Stage will continue hosting live audiences, the second stage is being introduced as a “broadcast-first” environment, according to Riot. The publisher acknowledged that some fans may be disappointed that certain matches will no longer have a live crowd, but said the setup would allow for more scheduling flexibility and support increased investment into larger regional events.
Riot also confirmed that the two-stage setup is expected to remain in place into 2027 as part of its long-term plans for both leagues. Buy it will be up to fans to see for themselves and decide whether this new two-stage setup delivers or falls short of expectations.
