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 was the enlargement of VGE’s flagship research effort, 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 broadening its geographic scope, VGE aims to provide a more comprehensive picture of the gaming ecosystem throughout the European Union and its neighbouring economies. To compile the findings, VGE commissioned the market‑research firm Ipsos, which pulled together information from several reputable sources, including the GameTrack database, the Global Software Development (GSD) platform, and the newly published EGDF‑VGE Video Games Industry Insight Report. The combined survey reached 39,371 respondents, offering a robust sample size for analysis.
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 across 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 paint a similarly detailed portrait of the industry’s health. In 2025, roughly 123,000 individuals were employed by an estimated 8,700 development studios spread across the EU and the United Kingdom. Women accounted for about a quarter of this workforce, representing 24 percent of all gaming‑related jobs.
The United Kingdom led the region in headcount, with 28,520 employees, while Poland and Germany followed with 14,930 and 12,410 workers respectively. Platform usage patterns continued to evolve, with mobile phones and tablets retaining their status as the most popular devices for playing games.
An impressive 82 percent of gamers reported using a handheld device, compared with 47 percent who favoured consoles and 34 percent who played on personal computers. Mobile and tablet platforms also contributed nearly half of the total industry revenue, highlighting the lucrative nature of the casual and hyper‑casual segments. In the console arena, Electronic Arts (EA) emerged as the leading publisher for 2025.
Its flagship sports titles, EA Sports FC26 and FC25, occupied the two highest positions on the console sales chart, while the long‑running first‑person shooter Battlefield 6 secured the third spot. Battlefield 6 also dominated the PC market, followed closely by Rockstar Games’ evergreen hits Red Dead Redemption 2 and Grand Theft Auto V, both of which continue to generate strong sales long after their initial releases. Mobile gaming leaders were similarly clear‑cut.
The top‑grossing title on smartphones and tablets was the chance‑based game Coin Master, with Royal Match and the iconic Candy Crush Saga rounding out the top three. These results reflect the enduring appeal of simple, replayable experiences that can be monetised through in‑app purchases and advertisements. Player demographics showed that 199 million Europeans engaged in video‑games during the year, with women representing 46 percent of that audience – roughly 91.5 million female gamers. The United Kingdom again stood out as the largest single market, boasting 25 million active players.
Average weekly playtime across the region was recorded at 8.39 hours, a slight decline from the 9.4 hours logged in 2024. Younger gamers, however, still spent considerable time on their devices: children aged 6‑11 averaged 11.35 hours per week, while teenagers aged 12‑17 logged an average of 14.30 hours.
Parental involvement in gaming habits remained high. Seventy‑five percent of European parents expressed a desire to participate in setting limits on their children’s video‑game usage. Moreover, 79 percent reported using one or more family‑setting tools to monitor or restrict gameplay, and 74 percent indicated that they have established agreements, supervision practices, or technical controls to manage online interactions.
Within the EU5 markets, 72 percent of parents said their children did not make any in‑game purchases. Of the minority who did buy virtual items, a substantial 93 percent of parents claimed 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 more cautious spending habits or the impact of tighter parental controls. Overall, the 2025 data illustrate a maturing European gaming landscape: revenues are robust and increasingly digital, the workforce is expanding and diversifying, and both players and parents are becoming more sophisticated in how they engage with games across a variety of platforms.
The broadened geographic coverage of VGE’s All About Games report will enable stakeholders to track these trends more precisely in the years ahead.