In 2025 the European video‑game sector recorded total earnings 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 purchases, subscriptions and micro‑transactions across the continent’s diverse gaming landscape. A notable development this year is the broadening of VGE’s flagship publication, 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 territories: Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Sweden and Switzerland. By widening its scope to sixteen countries, VGE aims to provide a more comprehensive picture of consumer behaviour, market size and industry employment across the whole of Europe. To compile the new edition, VGE commissioned the market‑research firm Ipsos, which drew on a combination of sources including GameTrack, GSD and the recently released EGDF‑VGE Video Games Industry Insight Report.
The resulting survey captured responses from 39,371 participants, offering a robust statistical base for the findings. When the figures for the original five‑country bloc (commonly referred to as the EU5) are examined in isolation, revenue fell by 4 percent year‑on‑year, slipping to €25.7 billion from €26.8 billion recorded in 2024.
Germany remained the top‑earning nation within this group, generating €6.5 billion in sales, followed by the United Kingdom, France, Italy and Spain. Employment data paint an equally encouraging picture.
In 2025 a total of 123,000 individuals were employed across 8,700 development studios operating in the EU and the United Kingdom. Women accounted for roughly one‑quarter of the workforce (24 percent), indicating a gradual but measurable improvement in gender balance within the industry. The United Kingdom employed the largest number of gaming professionals, with 28,520 staff members, while Poland and Germany followed with 14,930 and 12,410 employees respectively.
These figures highlight the importance of both Western and Central European hubs in sustaining the sector’s talent pipeline. 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 handheld 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 almost half of the total €30 billion revenue, confirming the lucrative nature of the smartphone market.
When it comes to top‑grossing titles, the console segment was led by Electronic Arts, whose sports franchise EA Sports FC26 claimed the number‑one spot, followed closely by its predecessor FC25. Battlefield 6 secured the third position on consoles, reflecting the enduring appeal of first‑person shooters. The PC arena saw Battlefield 6 repeat its success, topping the charts, while Rockstar Games’ long‑standing favourites Red Dead Redemption 2 and Grand Theft Auto 5 held strong second and third places, respectively. These results illustrate the staying power of legacy franchises alongside newer releases.
Mobile gaming leaders differed markedly. Coin Master emerged as the most played mobile title, with Royal Match and Candy Crush Saga occupying the second and third slots. The popularity of these casual, free‑to‑play games underscores the importance of in‑app purchases and ad‑supported monetisation models. Overall, 199 million Europeans reported playing video games in 2025, with women representing 46 percent of that audience (approximately 91.5 million female gamers).
The United Kingdom remained the single largest national market, boasting 25 million players. Average weekly playtime across the region dropped slightly to 8.39 hours per person, down from 9.4 hours in the previous year.
Younger age groups still logged higher engagement: children aged 6‑11 averaged 11.35 hours per week, while teenagers aged 12‑17 averaged 14.30 hours. Parental involvement in gaming habits also featured prominently in the survey.
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 one or more family‑setting tools—such as time limits, content filters or purchase approvals—to monitor or restrict gameplay, and 74 percent said they have explicit agreements or monitoring practices in place for online interactions.
Within the EU5, 72 percent of parents indicated that their children did not make any in‑game purchases. Among the minority who did, a striking 93 percent said 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 2024, suggesting either increased parental control or a shift in spending habits.
These data points collectively demonstrate that while the European gaming market continues to expand financially, it is also becoming more mature in terms of consumer behaviour, platform diversification, and parental oversight. The inclusion of additional countries in VGE’s All About Games report will likely provide even richer insights in future editions, helping developers, publishers and policymakers to navigate the evolving landscape of European interactive entertainment.