In 2025 the European video‑game market produced 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 distribution and the growing importance of downloadable content, micro‑transactions and subscription‑based services across the continent. A noteworthy development this year was the broadening of VGE’s flagship All About Games report. Previously the analysis focused on the five largest European gaming economies – the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain and Italy – but the 2025 edition now incorporates data from an additional eleven nations: Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Sweden and Switzerland.
By covering sixteen countries, the study offers a more comprehensive picture of the region’s diverse market dynamics and consumer habits. The expanded research was carried out in partnership with market‑research firm Ipsos, which extracted and harmonised information from several reputable sources, including GameTrack, the Global Software Development (GSD) database and the recently published EGDF‑VGE Video Games Industry Insight Report. The survey gathered responses from 39,371 participants, providing a robust statistical foundation for the findings. When the numbers 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. Germany remained the top‑earning nation within the group, generating €6.5 billion, followed by the United Kingdom, France, Italy and Spain. Employment figures also paint an encouraging portrait of the sector’s health.
Across the European Union and the United Kingdom, the industry employed roughly 123,000 individuals working in about 8,700 development studios, of which women accounted for 24 percent of the workforce. The United Kingdom led in headcount with 28,520 employees, while Poland (14,930) and Germany (12,410) rounded out the top three.
Platform usage trends continued to favour mobile devices. Smartphones and tablets were the primary way Europeans accessed games, with an 82 percent adoption rate. Console usage stood at 47 percent and personal‑computer gaming at 34 percent.
Not only did mobile dominate in terms of reach, it also contributed nearly half of the total industry revenue, highlighting the lucrative nature of app‑based titles and in‑app purchases. In the console arena, Electronic Arts retained its market‑leadership position. EA’s sports franchise, EA Sports FC26, claimed the number‑one spot, followed closely by its predecessor FC25, while the long‑awaited Battlefield 6 secured the third slot.
On the PC front, Battlefield 6 also emerged as the top‑grossing title, with Rockstar Games’ evergreen classics Red Dead Redemption 2 and Grand Theft Auto 5 occupying the subsequent positions. Mobile gaming charts were led by the casual hit Coin Master, which held the premier ranking, with Royal Match and the ever‑popular Candy Crush Saga completing the top three.
These results illustrate the sustained appetite for quick‑play, socially‑connected experiences on handheld devices. Player demographics revealed that 199 million Europeans engaged in video‑games during 2025, and women represented a substantial 46 percent of that audience (approximately 91.5 million female gamers). The United Kingdom emerged as the single largest national market, boasting 25 million active players.
Average weekly playtime across the region measured 8.39 hours per person, a slight decline from the 9.4 hours recorded in 2024. Age‑specific data showed that children aged 6‑11 spent an average of 11.35 hours per week gaming, while teenagers aged 12‑17 logged 14.30 hours, indicating that younger cohorts continue to allocate significant leisure time to interactive entertainment. Parental involvement remained high.
Seventy‑five percent of European parents expressed a desire to take an active role in setting gaming limits for their children. Moreover, 79 percent reported using one or more family‑setting tools—such as time‑limits, content filters or purchase restrictions—to supervise or curb gameplay, and 74 percent indicated they have explicit agreements, monitoring practices, or technical controls in place to manage online interactions.
Within the EU5 markets, 72 percent of parents said their children did not make in‑game purchases at all. Of the minority who did buy digital items, a striking 93 percent of parents confirmed that they kept a close watch over those transactions. Notably, the average amount spent by children who were permitted to purchase in‑game content fell by 13 percent compared with the previous year, suggesting either tighter parental oversight or a shift in spending habits among younger players. Overall, the 2025 figures portray a robust and evolving European gaming ecosystem.
While revenue growth in the traditional five‑country core slowed, the expansion into additional markets, the dominance of mobile platforms, and the sustained engagement of a diverse player base all point to a sector that is adapting successfully to changing consumer preferences and technological trends. The data also underscores the importance of responsible gaming practices, with a clear majority of parents taking proactive steps to guide and protect their children’s digital experiences.