In 2025 the European video‑game industry posted total revenues 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 marks a notable milestone for the sector, underscoring the continuing shift toward online purchases and the growing importance of digital distribution channels across the continent. A major development this year was the enlargement of VGE’s flagship research effort, the All About Games report. Previously confined to the five largest European markets – the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain and Italy – the study now incorporates data from an additional eleven countries: Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Sweden and Switzerland.
By broadening the geographical scope, VGE aims to provide a more comprehensive picture of gaming activity, consumer habits and industry performance throughout the European Union and the United Kingdom. To compile the expanded dataset, VGE commissioned the market‑research firm Ipsos, which pulled figures from several established sources, including GameTrack, the Game Software Developers (GSD) association and the newly published EGDF‑VGE Video Games Industry Insight Report. The survey captured responses from 39,371 participants, offering a robust sample size that lends credibility to the findings.
When the results for the original five‑country bloc (often referred to as the EU5) are examined in isolation, a modest contraction becomes apparent. Revenue in these core markets fell by 4 percent year‑on‑year, slipping from €26.8 billion in 2024 to €25.7 billion in 2025. Despite the dip, Germany remained the top‑earning nation within the group, generating €6.5 billion in sales and reinforcing its status as a central hub for both development and consumption.
Employment figures also highlight the sector’s significance as a source of jobs. In 2025, an estimated 123,000 individuals were employed across roughly 8,700 game‑development studios operating in the EU and the UK.
Women accounted for 24 percent of the workforce, indicating gradual progress toward gender balance, though there remains ample room for improvement. Country‑by‑country, the United Kingdom employed the largest number of professionals, with 28,520 staff members, followed by Poland (14,930) and Germany (12,410). These numbers reflect both the concentration of established studios and the rise of new, smaller developers that are expanding the talent pool throughout the region.
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. Console gaming held the second‑largest share at 47 percent, while PC gaming accounted for 34 percent of usage. In monetary terms, mobile and tablet platforms contributed nearly half of total industry revenue, confirming the lucrative nature of the mobile market and the effectiveness of in‑app purchase models.
When it comes to top‑selling titles, the console segment was led by Electronic Arts. EA’s sports franchise, EA Sports FC 26, claimed the number‑one spot, with its predecessor FC 25 taking second place, and the long‑running Battlefield 6 rounding out the top three. On the PC side, Battlefield 6 also emerged as the best‑performing game, followed by Rockstar Games’ enduring classics Red Dead Redemption 2 and Grand Theft Auto V, which continue to attract sizable audiences years after their initial releases.
The mobile arena was dominated by casual, freemium titles. Coin Master secured the leading position, with Royal Match and the ever‑popular Candy Crush Saga occupying the second and third slots respectively. These games illustrate the power of simple, highly accessible experiences that monetize through microtransactions and ad‑supported gameplay.
Player demographics revealed that 199 million Europeans engaged in video‑games during 2025, with women representing 46 percent of that total (approximately 91.5 million female gamers). The United Kingdom emerged as the single largest market in terms of player count, boasting around 25 million active gamers. Average weekly playtime across the continent was recorded at 8.39 hours, a slight decline from the 9.4 hours reported in 2024. Age‑specific data showed that children aged 6‑11 spent an average of 11.35 hours per week playing, while teenagers aged 12‑17 logged 14.30 hours, indicating that younger audiences remain highly engaged.
Parental involvement in gaming habits was also highlighted. Seventy‑five percent of European parents expressed a desire to take an active role in setting limits on their children’s video‑game usage.
Moreover, 79 percent reported using at least one family‑setting tool—such as time‑limit controls or content filters—to monitor or restrict gameplay, and 74 percent indicated they have formal agreements, monitoring practices, or family‑setting configurations in place to manage online interactions. In the EU5 markets specifically, 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 oversaw those transactions.
Notably, the average amount spent by children who were permitted to buy in‑game content fell by 13 percent compared with the previous year, suggesting a combination of tighter parental oversight and perhaps a shift in spending patterns toward free‑to‑play models. Overall, the 2025 data paints a picture of a mature, digitally‑focused gaming ecosystem in Europe. While revenue growth in the traditional five‑country core slowed, the expansion of the report to encompass 16 nations provides valuable insight into emerging markets and consumer trends. Mobile dominance, sustained popularity of flagship franchises, and increasing parental involvement all point to a dynamic environment where developers, publishers, and policymakers must continue to adapt to evolving player preferences and regulatory expectations.