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Riot Games, the developer behind the popular FPS game VALORANT, has announced that the VALORANT Game Changers EMEA Stage 3 grand finals will take place in Istanbul, Turkey. This marks a significant milestone, as it will be the first time the Game Changers EMEA event travels outside of its usual venues.
The grand finals will be hosted at the ESA Arena in Istanbul, a versatile event space that has previously been used for local esports competitions. The Stage 3 finals are scheduled to begin on September 25th and conclude in early October, continuing the trend of expanding and enhancing the competitive landscape of VALORANT.
In addition to this exciting venue announcement, Riot Games has unveiled a new initiative for October. The Game Changers EMEA: VCT OFF//SEASON Spotlight Series will be a mixed-gender tournament featuring 14 invited teams from VCT and Challengers circuits. This series is set to run from October 10th to October 16th, with the finals to be held during Paris Games Week on October 24th.
This Spotlight Series aims to spotlight and integrate women players more prominently within the competitive VALORANT scene. To participate, teams will need to include at least two Game Changers players in their roster. Riot Games hopes this initiative will provide more opportunities and accelerate progress towards a more inclusive esports environment.
Daniel Ringland, Head of VALORANT Esports EMEA, expressed enthusiasm about these developments, stating, “We are extremely excited to bring VALORANT Game Changers on the road for the first time and to introduce a mixed-gender tournament to the 2024 VALORANT Esports calendar at Paris Games Week. Our ambition with Game Changers is to create new opportunities for women in our ecosystem, and we hope these events will help us accelerate towards a future where all players are competing side by side at the highest level.”
With these announcements, Riot Games continues to enhance and diversify the VALORANT esports experience, creating more opportunities for players and fans alike.