In 2024 the European video‑game industry posted a combined turnover of roughly €24 billion, a figure that underscores the sector’s continuing economic significance across the region. The market was supported by more than 6,600 development studios, which together employed in excess of 95,000 individuals working in roles that range from programming and art design to marketing, publishing and quality assurance. These numbers come from the European Video Game Industry Insights Report, a joint publication produced by the European Games Development Association (EGDF) and Video Games Europe (VGA). Because the report relies on data that must be collected, verified and aggregated across dozens of national bodies, the figures presented reflect activity from the calendar year 2024 rather than the current month.
The methodology involves each of the 28 EGDF member organisations first compiling a detailed national snapshot, after which the data are merged into a pan‑European overview. One of the most striking take‑aways from the study is the contrast between two divergent trends.
On the one hand, the overall growth of the talent base – that is, the net increase in people employed in game‑related occupations – showed signs of stalling. In several countries the number of new hires either plateaued or slipped slightly, a development that analysts attribute to a mix of market consolidation, the lingering effects of broader economic uncertainty, and a wave of layoffs that hit some larger publishers earlier in the year. On the other hand, the count of active studios continued to rise, expanding by somewhere between five and ten percent over the previous year.
This suggests that while larger firms may be trimming staff, smaller and mid‑size developers are still entering the market, often attracted by the region’s strong creative culture, supportive funding schemes, and access to a highly skilled workforce. Nations such as Finland, Italy and the Czech Republic exemplified this modest but steady growth, each reporting incremental increases in both the number of companies and the size of their employee pools.
Poland emerged as the clear leader in terms of sheer employment volume. The country’s game‑development and publishing sector employed the highest number of professionals in the entire EU, and Polish studios also produced the greatest quantity of new titles, with 450 releases recorded during the year. The United Kingdom, while trailing Poland in total headcount, still boasted a substantial workforce of 28,516 individuals, reflecting the UK’s long‑standing reputation as a hub for both indie creators and major multinational publishers.
The 2024 edition of the report also marked the first time that two smaller economies – Bulgaria and Cyprus – were included in the pan‑European analysis. Cyprus, despite its modest size, generated €4.3 billion in turnover, a performance that earned it the description of the "main game industry hub in terms of combined revenue" within the Mediterranean sub‑region. Bulgaria, meanwhile, was highlighted as an "important regional hub surrounded by key European game industry talent" – a nod to its strategic location next to Romania and Türkiye, both of which contribute significant expertise and labour to the broader ecosystem. Commentators from the EGDF stressed that the data paint a nuanced picture.
"The report demonstrates that despite challenging times, industry growth continued in several countries, in both revenue and the number of studios, lifting both indicators at the European level," the association noted in its executive summary. This optimism is tempered, however, by the acknowledgement that the sector is not immune to the pressures that have forced layoffs, prompted corporate consolidations, and led to a slight dip in employment in a handful of markets – the first recorded contraction of its kind for the European gaming industry.
Looking ahead, stakeholders are focusing on a few key levers to sustain momentum. Investment in education and vocational training remains a priority, as does the creation of tax incentives and grant programmes that can lower the barrier to entry for nascent studios.
Moreover, cross‑border collaborations are being encouraged, with the aim of leveraging the complementary strengths of different regions – for example, combining the artistic talent found in Eastern Europe with the publishing expertise that is strong in Western European hubs. In summary, 2024 was a year of mixed signals for the EU gaming sector. Revenue continued its upward trajectory, reaching the €24 billion milestone, and the ecosystem saw a healthy influx of new studios that pushed the total count above 6,600. Yet the slowdown in talent‑base expansion and isolated pockets of employment decline serve as a reminder that the industry must remain agile, invest in its people, and nurture the conditions that allow both large and small players to thrive in an increasingly competitive global market.