Players have raised concerns about long-standing technical issues, and VCT EMEA is now officially addressing them.
VCT 2025: EMEA Stage 1 faced a wave of technical issues that resulted in repeated, prolonged pauses during matches. As frustration grew among fans and professional players, many of whom voiced concerns about problems that have persisted for years, the organizers finally responded. Acknowledging the community’s feedback, they pledged to make improvements. This time, they followed through.
VCT EMEA plans to fix the technical issues
On April 28, the official VCT EMEA account published an article on X outlining their plans to tackle the tournament's ongoing technical issues. Following the match delays on April 26, the organization began mobilizing its team to implement a series of corrective measures:
Action Status Details | Updated PCs In transit Two shipments (one from the USA, one from Europe) land within the next few hours. We are replacing stage PCs and validating we can deliver the performance and framerate players expect form VCT EMEA. | Internal Rioter Playtest Scheduled for April 29 Full scrim-length sessions to validate hardware in match conditions. | Pro Player Playtest Scheduled for April 30 Select VCT pros will stress-test the setup during a dark day, with ample time to provide feedback and adjustments in collaboration with our team. | Game Server and PC Interaction Audit Scheduled to April 28-30 We are looking closely at both online and offline game server logs to validate their connection with the game server, as well as monitoring for any abnormalities in its interactions with PCs in the studio. |
On April 29, the head of VCT EMEA Daniel "Stupendous" Ringland shared a picture on X showcasing a team working on the arena to enhance conditions for the players and solve the technical issues. He wrote in his post, "Things went really well today. We implemented new infrastructure, including PCs with higher specifications, and conducted gameplay tests on multiple maps without encountering any unexpected issues".
He also mentioned that the biggest challenge is still ahead. "A lot of people are working day and night to get everything up and running for you all. However, the real test will come tomorrow when pro teams join us on-site to try out the new infrastructure using their own peripherals. Naturally, we need to replicate a live game experience to feel confident in the new setup". Daniel also announced that more official updates will come tomorrow (April 30).
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Compensation for the fans
Many fans traveled and spent money on accommodations and food to be present on April 26 to watch their favorite teams play. However, the games had to be canceled, which left fans very disappointed. To compensate the fans who traveled more than 200km, Riot Games announced some rewards:
- Ticket to VCT Champions Grand Finals
- 2x Tickets to VCT EMEA
- Riot Games Merch voucher for €300 (~ USD 341)
- Riot Gun Buddy
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