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 and the growing importance of digital distribution channels across the continent.
A notable development this year is the broadening of VGE’s flagship "All About Games" report. Previously confined to the five largest markets – the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain and Italy – the analysis now incorporates data from an additional eleven countries: Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Sweden and Switzerland.
By widening the geographical scope, VGE aims to provide a more comprehensive picture of gaming activity throughout the European Economic Area and the United Kingdom. To compile the study, VGE commissioned market‑research firm Ipsos, which pulled information from several industry sources, including GameTrack, the Global Software Development (GSD) database, and the newly published EGDF‑VGE Video Games Industry Insight Report.
The survey captured the responses of 39,371 participants, offering a robust sample that reflects the diversity of gamers, developers and industry professionals across the region. When the numbers are broken down by the original five‑country core (often referred to as the EU5), total revenue fell by 4 percent compared with the previous 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 in sales, followed by the United Kingdom, France, Italy and Spain.
Employment figures also painted an encouraging picture. In 2025, the combined labour force of the EU and the UK comprised roughly 123,000 individuals working across 8,700 development studios.
Women represented 24 percent of this workforce, highlighting gradual progress toward gender balance in an industry traditionally dominated by men. The United Kingdom employed the largest number of staff – 28,520 workers – with Poland (14,930) and Germany (12,410) trailing behind. Platform usage data revealed that mobile phones and tablets continue to dominate the gaming landscape, accounting for 82 percent of all gaming sessions.
Console play was recorded at 47 percent, while PC gaming made up 34 percent of total usage. In monetary terms, mobile and tablet platforms contributed almost half of the overall revenue, confirming the lucrative nature of the smartphone market for publishers.
On the console front, Electronic Arts (EA) secured the top position in 2025. Its flagship sports titles, EA Sports FC26 and FC25, occupied the two leading spots on the console charts, with the tactical shooter Battlefield 6 taking third place.
Battlefield 6 also led the PC segment, where it was followed by Rockstar Games’ long‑standing hits Red Dead Redemption 2 and Grand Theft Auto V, both of which continue to generate strong sales years after their initial release. Mobile gaming leaders were equally clear. The casual‑strategy title Coin Master held the number‑one slot, while Royal Match and the ever‑popular Candy Crush Saga rounded out the top three. These results illustrate the sustained appeal of free‑to‑play titles that combine simple mechanics with in‑app purchase models.
Player demographics showed that 199 million Europeans engaged in video‑games during 2025, with women representing 46 percent of the total (approximately 91.5 million female gamers). The United Kingdom emerged as the single largest market in terms of player count, boasting 25 million active gamers. Average weekly playtime across the region dropped slightly to 8.39 hours per person, down from 9.4 hours in 2024. Younger audiences, however, still logged significant hours: children aged 6‑11 averaged 11.35 hours per week, while teenagers aged 12‑17 spent an average of 14.30 hours gaming each week.
Parental involvement remains a key factor in the European gaming ecosystem. Seventy‑five percent of parents indicated they prefer to take an active role in setting limits on their children’s gaming activities.
Moreover, 79 percent reported using one or more family‑setting tools to monitor or restrict gameplay, and 74 percent have established agreements, monitoring practices, or family‑setting configurations 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, a substantial 93 percent of parents claimed they kept a close eye on those transactions. Notably, the average amount spent by children who are permitted to buy in‑game content fell by 13 percent compared with 2024, suggesting either more cautious spending habits or the impact of tighter parental controls. Overall, the 2025 figures paint a picture of a mature, digitally‑focused European gaming industry that continues to expand its reach, diversify its audience, and refine its monetisation strategies, while also grappling with the ongoing challenges of gender representation, parental oversight, and the balance between mobile and traditional gaming platforms.