In 2025 the European video‑game sector 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 continuing shift toward online purchases, downloadable content and subscription‑based models across the continent’s diverse gaming landscape. A notable development this year is the broadening of VGE’s flagship market analysis, the All About Games report.
Previously limited to the five largest economies—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 extending its geographic scope to sixteen nations, VGE aims to provide a more comprehensive picture of consumer behaviour, revenue streams and employment trends throughout the European Union and the United Kingdom. To compile the new dataset, VGE commissioned market‑research specialist Ipsos, which drew on figures from GameTrack, the German Software Developers Association (GSD) and the freshly published EGDF‑VGE Video Games Industry Insight Report.
The survey captured responses from 39,371 participants, ranging from casual players to industry professionals, delivering a statistically robust foundation for the year’s findings. When the expanded numbers are examined alongside the original five‑country core (often referred to as the EU5), a modest contraction becomes apparent.
Revenue across the EU5 fell by 4 percent year‑on‑year, slipping from €26.8 billion in 2024 to €25.7 billion in 2025. Germany remained the top‑earning market within this group, generating €6.5 billion, followed by the United Kingdom, France, Italy and Spain in descending order. Employment data paints an equally vivid portrait of the sector’s health. In 2025, approximately 123,000 individuals were employed by 8,700 game‑development studios spread across the EU and the UK.
Women accounted for roughly a quarter of the workforce (24 percent), a figure that, while still indicating gender disparity, marks a gradual improvement over previous years. The United Kingdom employed the greatest number of people—28,520—while Poland and Germany followed with 14,930 and 12,410 employees respectively. Platform preferences among European gamers continued to evolve. Mobile phones and tablets dominated usage statistics, with 82 percent of respondents indicating they primarily played on these devices.
Consoles were the second‑most popular platform at 47 percent, and personal computers accounted for 34 percent of playtime. In monetary terms, mobile and tablet gaming contributed nearly half of the total industry revenue, reinforcing the importance of the “play‑anywhere” model for publishers and developers. The console segment was led by Electronic Arts, whose flagship titles EA Sports FC 26 and FC 25 occupied the top two slots on the leaderboard, with Battlefield 6 rounding out the trio of best‑selling console games. On the PC front, Battlefield 6 also claimed the number‑one position, while Rockstar Games maintained a strong presence thanks to enduring classics such as Red Dead Redemption 2 and Grand Theft Auto V, both of which continued to attract substantial sales and active player bases.
Mobile gaming saw a different set of champions. The casual‑puzzle title Coin Master secured the leading spot, followed closely by Royal Match and the long‑standing juggernaut Candy Crush Saga.
These games illustrate the lucrative nature of the free‑to‑play model, where in‑app purchases and ad revenue drive profitability. Overall participation rates remained impressive: 199 million Europeans reported playing video games in 2025. Women represented 46 percent of that audience, translating to roughly 91.5 million female gamers. The United Kingdom emerged as the single largest national market, with 25 million active players.
Average weekly playtime across the continent measured 8.39 hours per person, a slight decline from the 9.4 hours recorded in 2024. Age‑specific data revealed that children aged 6‑11 logged an average of 11.35 hours per week, while teenagers aged 12‑17 spent about 14.30 hours gaming each week, highlighting the continued popularity of interactive entertainment among younger demographics. 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 one or more family‑setting tools—such as screen‑time controls or purchase restrictions—to monitor or curb gameplay.
Additionally, 74 percent said they have established agreements, employ monitoring software, or utilize built‑in family settings to manage online interactions and protect their children from inappropriate content. When it comes to in‑game purchases, the EU5 market showed a relatively responsible pattern: 72 percent of parents indicated that their children did not buy any digital items. Of the minority who did make purchases, a substantial 93 percent of parents reported that they closely supervised 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 either tighter parental control, increased price sensitivity, or a shift toward free‑to‑play experiences that rely less on micro‑transactions.
These findings collectively illustrate a European gaming ecosystem that is both financially robust and increasingly diversified across platforms, demographics and geographic regions. While revenue growth has plateaued in the traditional EU5 powerhouses, the inclusion of new markets and the rise of mobile gaming signal fresh opportunities for developers and publishers. Moreover, the heightened awareness among parents regarding digital consumption and spending underscores a maturing market where consumer protection and responsible gaming are becoming integral to industry strategy.