Riot Games unveils dual-stage Berlin setup, reshaping LEC production from Summer onwards

For LEC viewers, the practical change is targeted but real. The Studio Stage will be used during one week of the Summer Split, with the rest of the season continuing on the Arena Stage as fans have always known it. That single week will be broadcast-only, meaning no Berlin live audience for those matches.

The driver behind the expansion is VCT EMEA’s growth: Stage 2 kicks off on July 15 with Challengers League teams joining the main competition for the first time, generating a match volume incompatible with a single-stage venue. By splitting production across two spaces, Riot Games can also tailor each league’s on-air presentation to its own identity, according to the developer’s announcement.

Riot Games framed the tradeoff as funding bigger live moments elsewhere — the VCT EMEA Stage 2 Finals heading to Barcelona for the first time, and continued LEC Roadtrips.