RQ Barcelona is here: the first Vendetta-era tournament is worth $25,000 and the last ticket to Stuttgart

by Riccardo Emanuele Eustor·Riftbound Zone

From August 21 to 23, Fira de Barcelona hosts the Barcelona Regional Qualifier, the tournament that officially opens the Vendetta competitive season — and also the last European RQ of 2026, meaning the final chance to grab an invite to the European Regional Championship in Stuttgart. On the line: $25,000, exclusive Jayce promos, the Lux Crystal Rose playmat and the coveted metal cards. Here are the schedule, prizes, format and how to watch from home.

All times in this article are CEST. Data from the official «All Eyes on Barcelona» announcement (playriftbound.com, August 10).

The tournamentVendetta's first competitive outing

This is the new set's debut on the big stage: Barcelona is played with Spiritforged, Unleashed and Vendetta, while Origins and Proving Grounds rotate out of Regional Qualifiers. For deckbuilders it's a small earthquake: the meta arrives already shaken up by Vendetta's rules update and the August errata, and the 33 legal Legends will battle for as many Best-Of Legends: the metal card awarded to the highest-placing player piloting each Legend.

The address is Fira de Barcelona, Avinguda de la Reina Maria Cristina s/n — the historic exhibition centre at the foot of Montjuïc, ten minutes from the city centre by metro.

Prize pool$25,000 and rewards down to Top 128

Riot has expanded the prize structure compared to last season's RQs: on top of the cash pool, promos and playmats now reach all the way to Top 128, and every participant takes home the Jayce, Brilliant Inventor promo.

Placing players get more than cash: the Top 64 receive alt art promos, playmats, 40 Prize Wall tickets, a competitive pass for future RQs and, above all, an invite to the Regional Championship — for Europeans, that's Stuttgart (November 6-8, $50,000 prize pool). Top 128 adds the Lux playmat featuring the Crystal Rose artwork from the Wild Rift collab to the Jayce promo.

At the prize counterThe Secret Garden Bundle debuts in Europe

After debuting at Gen Con, the Secret Garden Bundle reaches Europe for the first time: it sells for $70, one per event badge, while supplies last. Inside are the three «secret garden» alt arts — Green Father (Ivern), Bashful Bloom (Lillia) and Ultrasoft Poro — plus 5 double-sided alt art tokens, 2 sleeve packs, 2 full art postcards and 3 Unleashed boosters.

From homeStreaming from 10:00 AM CEST

The whole weekend airs on the official Riftbound YouTube and Twitch channels starting at 10:00 AM CEST each day. At the desk: Shai Burton, Amy Wosley, Joe Curley and a familiar face from LoL esports, YamatoCannon. Live results, brackets and deck techs run through the @RiftboundOP account on X.

What's nextUpcoming stops on the circuit

• Aug 21-23
  RQ Barcelona — Fira de Barcelona. The last European Regional Qualifier of 2026.
• Sep 4-6
  RQ Singapore — Singapore Expo. First Asian RQ of the Vendetta season.
• Sep 25-27
  RQ Los Angeles — Los Angeles Convention Center.
• Nov 6-8
  European Regional Championship — Stuttgart, $50,000. Invite only.

Q&AWhat you need to know

Source: All Eyes on Barcelona (playriftbound.com). Images © Riot Games.