In 2025 the European video‑game market generated a total of €30 billion in revenue, according to the latest figures released by Video Games Europe (VGE). Digital sales dominated the landscape, representing 91 percent of the overall income, underscoring the continued shift away from physical copies toward online purchases, downloadable content and in‑app transactions. A notable development this year was the broadening of VGE’s flagship study, the All About Games report.
Previously limited to the five largest European gaming economies – the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain and Italy – the analysis now covers a total of sixteen countries. The additional markets include Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Sweden and Switzerland. This expansion provides a more comprehensive view of the continent’s diverse gaming ecosystem and highlights growth opportunities in smaller, yet increasingly influential, regions.
To compile the data, VGE commissioned the market‑research firm Ipsos, which drew on information from GameTrack, the Game Software Developers (GSD) association, and the newly released EGDF‑VGE Video Games Industry Insight Report. The survey captured the responses of 39,371 participants, ranging from casual players to industry professionals, ensuring a robust statistical foundation for the findings. When the numbers are broken down by the original five‑country core (often referred to as the EU5), total revenue fell by 4 percent year‑on‑year, slipping from €26.8 billion in 2024 to €25.7 billion in 2025.
Germany remained the powerhouse of the group, delivering €6.5 billion in sales, followed by the United Kingdom, France, Italy and Spain. Despite the modest decline, the overall European market continued to expand thanks to the contributions of the newly added nations. Employment data painted an encouraging picture for the sector’s labour market.
In 2025, roughly 123 000 individuals were working across 8 700 development studios located throughout the EU and the United Kingdom. Women accounted for 24 percent of the workforce, a figure that, while still reflecting a gender gap, marks a gradual improvement over previous years. The United Kingdom employed the largest number of gaming professionals – 28 520 people – with Poland (14 930) and Germany (12 410) trailing behind. Platform usage trends revealed that mobile phones and tablets remain the dominant entry points for gamers, with 82 percent of respondents indicating they primarily play on these devices.
Consoles were the second‑most popular platform at 47 percent, while PCs attracted 34 percent of the audience. Notably, mobile and tablet gaming contributed nearly half of the total €30 billion revenue, highlighting the lucrative nature of the freemium and micro‑transaction models that thrive on handheld devices. In the console arena, Electronic Arts retained the top spot in 2025. Its flagship sports titles, EA Sports FC26 and FC25, occupied the two leading positions on the sales charts, with the tactical shooter Battlefield 6 securing the third slot.
Battlefield 6 also led the PC segment, followed closely by Rockstar Games’ enduring classics Red Dead Redemption 2 and Grand Theft Auto 5, which continue to generate strong sales long after their initial releases. Mobile gaming leaders were similarly clear‑cut. The casual‑strategy title Coin Master claimed the number‑one position, while Royal Match and the long‑standing Candy Crush Saga rounded out the top three.
These results underscore the sustained appeal of easy‑to‑pick‑up games that combine social interaction with short, repeatable sessions. Player demographics showed that 199 million Europeans engaged in video‑games during 2025, with women representing 46 percent of that audience – roughly 91.5 million female gamers.
The United Kingdom emerged as the single largest national market, boasting 25 million active players. On average, gamers reported spending 8.39 hours per week playing, a slight dip from the 9.4 hours logged in 2024.
Age‑specific data indicated that children aged 6‑11 logged an average of 11.35 hours per week, while teenagers aged 12‑17 averaged 14.30 hours. Parental involvement in gaming habits remained high. Seventy‑five percent of European parents expressed a desire to be involved in setting limits on their children’s gaming time. Moreover, 79 percent reported using one or more family‑setting tools to monitor or restrict gameplay, and 74 percent said they have explicit agreements, monitoring practices, or family‑setting configurations to manage online interactions and protect their children.
In the EU5 markets specifically, 72 percent of parents indicated that their children did not make in‑game purchases. Among the minority who did buy digital content, an overwhelming 93 percent of parents said they actively supervised those transactions. Interestingly, the average amount spent by children who were permitted to purchase in‑game items fell by 13 percent compared with 2024, suggesting either more cautious spending habits or the impact of parental controls.
Overall, the 2025 data paint a picture of a mature yet still expanding European gaming industry. While revenue growth in the traditional core markets showed a modest contraction, the inclusion of additional countries and the continued dominance of mobile platforms helped push total earnings to a record €30 billion.
Employment figures remain robust, gender diversity is slowly improving, and parental engagement indicates a growing awareness of the need for responsible gaming practices. As the sector moves forward, the trends highlighted in VGE’s expanded All About Games report will likely shape strategic decisions for developers, publishers, and policymakers across the continent.