In 2025 the European video‑game industry amassed a total turnover of €30 billion, with digital sales representing a dominant 91 percent of that figure, according to the latest data released by Video Games Europe (VGE). This milestone underscores the continued shift toward online and downloadable content across the continent, as physical copies become increasingly marginal.
A notable development this year is the broadening of VGE’s flagship analysis, the All About Games report. Previously limited to the five largest European markets – the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain and Italy – the study now covers a much wider geographic canvas, encompassing sixteen countries. The newly added territories are Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Sweden and Switzerland.
By incorporating these additional economies, VGE aims to provide a more comprehensive picture of gaming trends, consumer behaviour and market dynamics throughout Europe. To compile the expanded dataset, VGE commissioned market‑research firm Ipsos, which drew on information from several established sources, including GameTrack, the Game Software Developers (GSD) association, and the freshly published EGDF‑VGE Video Games Industry Insight Report. The resulting survey captured responses from 39,371 participants, offering a robust statistical foundation for the findings.
When the numbers are broken down by region, the traditional “EU5” group – the original five markets – experienced a modest contraction. Revenue fell by 4 percent year‑on‑year, slipping from €26.8 billion in 2024 to €25.7 billion in 2025. Germany remained the powerhouse within this bloc, generating €6.5 billion, the highest national total among the EU5. Employment figures paint a similarly detailed portrait of the sector’s health.
Across the United Kingdom and the European Union, 123,000 individuals were employed by 8,700 development studios in 2025. Women accounted for roughly a quarter of the workforce, representing 24 percent of all employees. The United Kingdom led the continent in job numbers, with 28,520 gaming‑industry positions, followed by Poland (14,930) and Germany (12,410). Platform preferences among European gamers continued to evolve.
Mobile phones and tablets dominated usage, with 82 percent of respondents indicating they primarily played on these devices. Consoles were the second‑most popular platform at 47 percent, while personal computers attracted 34 percent of players.
In terms of revenue generation, mobile and tablet gaming contributed almost half of the total €30 billion, reinforcing the importance of the handheld market. The console segment was led by Electronic Arts, whose flagship sports titles EA Sports FC26 and FC25 secured the top two spots on the console leaderboard, with the military shooter Battlefield 6 taking third place.
On the PC front, Battlefield 6 also claimed the number‑one position, followed closely by Rockstar Games’ enduring classics Red Dead Redemption 2 and Grand Theft Auto 5, which continue to attract substantial player bases. Mobile gaming charts were topped by the casual‑puzzle title Coin Master, which claimed the premier slot, while Royal Match and the long‑standing Candy Crush Saga occupied the second and third positions respectively.
These rankings illustrate the sustained appetite for quick‑play, socially connected experiences on smartphones. Overall participation in gaming remained high, with 199 million Europeans reporting that they played video games in 2025.
Women comprised 46 percent of this audience, equating to 91.5 million female gamers. The United Kingdom again stood out as the largest single market, boasting 25 million active players. Average weekly playtime across the continent measured 8.39 hours per player, a slight decline from the 9.4 hours recorded in 2024.
Younger demographics still logged the most time: children aged 6‑11 averaged 11.35 hours per week, while teenagers aged 12‑17 spent an average of 14.30 hours gaming each week. Parental involvement in gaming habits also featured prominently in the survey.
Seventy‑five percent of European parents expressed a desire to be actively involved in setting limits on their children’s video‑game usage. Correspondingly, 79 percent reported using at least one family‑settings tool to monitor or restrict gameplay, and 74 percent indicated they have established agreements, supervision practices, or technical controls to manage online interactions. Within the EU5 markets, 72 percent of parents said their children did not make in‑game purchases.
Among the minority who did, a striking 93 percent of parents reported that they closely monitored those transactions. Notably, the average amount spent by children who were permitted to buy in‑game content dropped by 13 percent compared with the previous year, suggesting a growing awareness of spending habits and possibly more stringent parental oversight. These findings collectively highlight a maturing European gaming ecosystem: revenue is robust, mobile dominance is clear, and both developers and regulators are paying increasing attention to demographic trends, gender balance, and responsible consumption.
As the industry continues to expand into new territories and platforms, stakeholders can expect further diversification of content, heightened competition among publishers, and an ongoing dialogue about the role of games in everyday life across Europe.