The European video‑game market posted a total turnover of €24 billion in 2024, supported by more than 6,600 development studios and a labour force that now exceeds 95,000 individuals. These figures come from the European Video Game Industry Insights Report, a joint publication of the European Games Development Association (EGDF) and Video Games Europe (VGA). The report aggregates data collected throughout 2024, a process that begins with each of the 28 EGDF member organisations compiling national statistics before forwarding them for a continent‑wide synthesis. While the overall pool of talent in Europe appears to have hit a plateau – with the rate of new entrants and net employment growth slowing – the ecosystem of studios has continued to expand.
Between five and ten percent more companies were operating in 2024 than in the previous year, indicating that new ventures are still being launched even as the sector grapples with a tighter labour market. Nations such as Finland, Italy, and the Czech Republic illustrated this trend, each posting modest but steady increases in the size of their development workforces. Poland emerged as the clear leader in terms of employment, employing the highest number of professionals across game development and publishing within the EU. Polish studios also topped the continent in output, releasing 450 new titles throughout the year.
The United Kingdom, another major hub, recorded a workforce of 28,516 people, underscoring its continued relevance in the European gaming landscape. The 2024 edition of the report also marked the first inclusion of two smaller markets: Bulgaria and Cyprus.
Cyprus, despite its modest size, generated €4.3 billion in revenue and was highlighted as the principal hub for combined turnover in the region. Bulgaria was described as an "important regional hub surrounded by key European game industry talent" with its proximity to Romania and Türkiye providing a strategic advantage for cross‑border collaboration and talent exchange.
The EGDF emphasized that, notwithstanding a challenging macro‑economic environment, several countries managed to push both revenue and studio numbers upward, thereby lifting the aggregate European indicators. This resilience is evident in the continued rise of studio counts and the sustained high turnover, even as some markets faced headwinds.
Nevertheless, the report does not shy away from acknowledging the sector’s difficulties. Layoffs, corporate consolidations, and a broader decline in employment levels have led to a stagnation of the talent base, and in a few nations a slight dip in total employment was recorded – a phenomenon that had not been observed in the European gaming sector before. These contractions signal that while the industry can still generate impressive revenues, the underlying workforce dynamics are under strain.
To put the numbers into perspective, a €24 billion turnover spread across 6,600 studios translates to an average revenue of roughly €3.6 million per studio, though the distribution is far from uniform. Large publishers in Poland and the UK command a significant share of the market, while smaller studios in emerging hubs such as Cyprus and Bulgaria contribute to a diversified ecosystem that balances high‑volume production with niche, innovative titles.
The inclusion of new data from Bulgaria and Cyprus also points to a broader geographic diffusion of game development activity within Europe. Historically, the industry has been concentrated in Western Europe, but the rising prominence of Eastern and Southern markets suggests a shift toward a more balanced continental map. This diversification could help mitigate talent shortages by tapping into local education systems, government incentives, and a growing pool of skilled graduates. Looking ahead, industry observers note that the next few years will be crucial for maintaining growth momentum.
Policymakers are being urged to invest in vocational training, university curricula, and apprenticeship schemes that can replenish the talent pipeline. At the same time, studios are encouraged to explore remote‑work models and cross‑border collaborations to broaden their access to skilled professionals.
In summary, the 2024 European games industry report paints a picture of a sector that remains financially robust, with €24 billion in turnover and a workforce that has now crossed the 95,000‑person threshold. Studio numbers are on an upward trajectory, even as the talent base experiences its first signs of stagnation. The emergence of new regional hubs, the continued dominance of established markets, and the ongoing challenges of employment volatility together define a complex but promising landscape for European game development moving forward.