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 figures released by Video Games Europe (VGE). This milestone underscores the continued shift toward online and downloadable content across the continent, as physical copies become an increasingly marginal share of the market. A notable development this year was VGE’s decision to broaden the geographic scope of its flagship "All About Games" report.
Previously the study 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 16 countries in total, the report offers a more comprehensive picture of the European landscape, capturing trends in both established and emerging markets. To compile the new dataset, VGE commissioned the market‑research firm Ipsos, which drew on several industry 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, providing a robust statistical foundation for the analysis. When the numbers for the original five‑country block (often referred to as the EU5) are examined in isolation, revenue fell by 4 percent year‑on‑year, slipping from €26.8 billion in 2024 to €25.7 billion in 2025.
Despite the overall dip, Germany remained the top‑earning nation within the group, delivering €6.5 billion in sales, followed closely by the United Kingdom and France. Employment figures also painted a vivid picture of the sector’s scale.
In 2025, approximately 123,000 individuals were employed across 8,700 development studios spread throughout the EU and the UK. Women accounted for roughly a quarter of the workforce (24 percent), indicating gradual progress toward gender balance in an industry traditionally dominated by men. The United Kingdom employed the greatest number of people – 28,520 – with Poland (14,930) and Germany (12,410) trailing behind. Platform usage data revealed that mobile phones and tablets continued to dominate the European gaming ecosystem, with 82 percent of gamers reporting they primarily played on these devices.
Console usage stood at 47 percent, while PC gaming attracted 34 percent of respondents. Notably, mobile and tablet platforms were responsible for almost half of the total revenue, highlighting the profitability of the freemium and in‑app purchase models that thrive on handheld devices. In the console arena, Electronic Arts retained its leadership position throughout 2025. EA Sports’ titles FC26 and FC25 occupied the two highest spots on the console sales chart, with the long‑running Battlefield 6 series securing the third place.
On the PC side, Battlefield 6 also emerged as the top‑grossing title, followed by Rockstar Games’ enduring classics Red Dead Redemption 2 and Grand Theft Auto 5, which continue to generate substantial income years after their initial releases. Mobile gaming leaders were equally clear. The casual‑strategy game Coin Master claimed the number‑one slot, while Royal Match and the iconic Candy Crush Saga rounded out the top three. These titles exemplify the power of bite‑sized, highly engaging experiences that encourage frequent, short sessions and monetize through microtransactions.
Overall player penetration reached 199 million Europeans in 2025, with women representing 46 percent of that audience (approximately 91.5 million female gamers). The United Kingdom again stood out as the single largest market, boasting 25 million active players. Average weekly playtime across the continent measured 8.39 hours, a slight decline from the 9.4 hours recorded in 2024.
Age‑specific data showed that younger children (6‑11 years) logged an average of 11.35 hours per week, while teenagers (12‑17 years) spent even more time gaming, averaging 14.30 hours weekly. Parental involvement in gaming habits remained high. Seventy‑five percent of European parents expressed a desire to take an active role in setting limits on their children’s video‑game usage.
Correspondingly, 79 percent reported using at least one family‑setting tool—such as time‑limit features or content filters—to monitor or restrict gameplay, and 74 percent employed a combination of agreements, monitoring practices, or built‑in family controls to manage online interactions. Within the EU5 markets, 72 percent of parents indicated that their children did not make in‑game purchases. Among the minority who did buy digital items, a striking 93 percent said they kept a close eye on those transactions.
Interestingly, 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, more cautious spending behavior among young gamers, or a shift toward free‑to‑play models that rely less on direct purchases. Taken together, these data points illustrate a European gaming environment that is both financially robust and increasingly diversified across platforms, demographics, and geographic regions.
While revenue growth slowed in the traditional EU5 block, the expansion into additional markets and the sustained dominance of mobile gaming point to continued opportunities for developers, publishers, and ancillary service providers. Moreover, the heightened parental engagement and the gradual rise in female participation signal evolving social dynamics that could shape the industry’s future direction. As the sector moves forward, stakeholders will likely monitor how regulatory frameworks, especially those concerning in‑game purchases and data privacy, interact with these trends. The balance between monetization strategies and consumer protection will be crucial for maintaining the sector’s growth trajectory while ensuring a safe and inclusive gaming experience for all European players.