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Riot Games has announced plans to build a new studio in Berlin for the EMEA region ahead of the 2023 VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT) season. The new venue will serve as a hub for VALORANT esports in the region and will be used for the production of VCT events.
“The VCT EMEA International League will kick off in March at the Messe Berlin Charlottenburg,” the organization said.
“We are building a studio for fans – a place to witness the best clutches, the highs of victory, and the lows of defeat alongside each other.”
The new studio at the Messe Berlin Charlottenburg will serve as the home for the 10 teams competing in the EMEA region. This marks a significant step for the growth of VALORANT esports in the region, providing a dedicated space for top-level competition.
The 2023 VCT EMEA season is shaping up to be one of the biggest events in the game’s history, with top teams from across the region competing for a spot in the global finals. The studio is expected to provide a state-of-the-art environment for players and fans alike, further cementing VALORANT’s place as a top esports title.
The new Berlin studio will serve as the hub for all VCT EMEA activities, including the Masters, Challengers, Last Chance Qualifier, and Champions events. The state-of-the-art facility will also provide a space for player training and development, as well as a venue for spectators to watch the action live.
Riot Games has stated that the new Berlin studio is part of its vision to support and grow the VALORANT esports scene in EMEA. The company plans to invest heavily in the region, with a focus on providing more opportunities for aspiring professional players and teams to compete at the highest levels.
The studio is said to be located across town from Riot Games’ Berlin headquarters and the League of Legends European Championship (LEC) studio. With the LEC and VCT EMEA scheduled at similar dates and times, both tournaments cannot share the same venue. The new studio also offers the organization the opportunity to create its own style and feel, different from LoL, as it has always wanted to with its event and stages.
In addition to the new studio in Berlin, Riot will also be expanding its support for grassroots VALORANT esports in the EMEA region. This includes providing more support for amateur and semi-professional teams, as well as increasing the number of regional tournaments and events.
The news comes as part of Riot’s vision for the 2023 VCT season, which will feature a revamped format and new rules. The Masters events will now be split into two tiers, with the top eight teams from each region competing in the upper tier and the remaining teams competing in the lower tier. This will provide more opportunities for teams to compete at the highest level and allow for more diverse representation.
The cream of the crop from the Masters leagues will be moving on to the next round of competition, where they will face off in a modified double-elimination bracket. The top teams from the VCT EMEA playoffs will have the opportunity to shine on the Masters stage in June, before battling it out in the Last Chance Qualifier in July and ultimately vying for victory at the Champions event in August.
In the meantime, the Challengers will be hot on their heels, following the same schedule and culminating in the Ascension tournament in July. One lucky team will earn a coveted two-year promotion to the VCT EMEA the following year.
