The European video‑game market posted an impressive €24 billion in combined revenue for the year 2024, a figure that reflects the collective output of more than 6,600 development studios spread across the continent. These studios collectively employ a workforce that now exceeds 95,000 individuals, ranging from programmers and artists to marketers and support staff. The data comes from the latest European Video Game Industry Insights Report, a joint publication by the European Games Development Association (EGDF) and Video Games Europe (VGA). The report, which focuses on the calendar year 2024, was compiled using a multi‑stage methodology.
First, each of the 28 EGDF member organisations prepared a detailed national snapshot, gathering information on turnover, studio counts, employment levels and new releases. These national submissions were then aggregated and harmonised to produce a comprehensive European overview.
Because of the time required to collect and verify the data, the report reflects the situation as it stood at the end of 2024 rather than offering a real‑time snapshot. One of the most striking findings is the divergence between talent‑base growth and studio proliferation.
While the overall increase in the number of people working in the sector appears to have stalled – a rare occurrence in a historically fast‑expanding industry – the count of active studios continued to climb. In 2024 the number of game‑development companies rose by between five and ten percent, depending on the country, indicating that new entrants are still finding opportunities despite a tightening labour market. Country‑by‑country analysis shows that several smaller markets are maintaining modest but steady expansion.
Finland, Italy and the Czech Republic, for example, each reported incremental gains in employment and studio formation. These gains are often linked to targeted government incentives, a growing ecosystem of specialised training programmes, and an increasingly vibrant indie‑developer community that is attracting both domestic and foreign talent. Poland stands out as the largest employer in the European gaming ecosystem. Polish studios collectively hired more people than any other EU nation, and the country also led the region in terms of new title releases, registering 450 fresh games in 2024.
The United Kingdom, another heavyweight, reported a workforce of 28,516 individuals, underscoring its continued role as a major hub for both development and publishing activities. The 2024 edition of the report also marked the first inclusion of two previously untracked markets: Bulgaria and Cyprus. Cyprus, despite its modest size, generated €4.3 billion in turnover, a figure that positioned it as the leading revenue‑generating hub among the newly added economies. The report described Cyprus as the "main game industry hub in terms of combined revenue," highlighting the island’s growing appeal to both local studios and multinational publishers seeking a strategic foothold in the Mediterranean.
Bulgaria, on the other hand, was recognised for its strategic location and talent pool. The country was characterised as an "important regional hub surrounded by key European game industry talent" from neighbouring Romania and Türkiye.
Bulgarian studios are increasingly collaborating with partners across the Balkans, leveraging lower operational costs while tapping into a skilled workforce that benefits from strong technical education programmes. The EGDF’s commentary on the findings paints a nuanced picture. On the positive side, the association noted 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." This optimism is grounded in the fact that revenue growth remained robust, and the proliferation of studios suggests a healthy pipeline of future games and innovation.
However, the report also warns of headwinds that could temper future expansion. It cites layoffs, corporate consolidations and a modest decline in employment figures in a handful of markets as evidence of a sector reaching a point of saturation in certain regions. For the first time, some countries recorded a slight dip in overall employment, a phenomenon described as "the first such dip in the sector for the first time." These setbacks are attributed to a combination of factors, including rising production costs, increased competition from global players, and a tighter labour market that makes it harder for studios to scale quickly.
In response to these challenges, industry stakeholders are calling for renewed investment in education and training, as well as policies that encourage sustainable growth. Initiatives such as apprenticeship schemes, university‑level game‑design programmes, and public‑private partnerships are being championed as ways to replenish the talent pipeline and ensure that Europe remains a competitive player on the global stage. Looking ahead, analysts anticipate that the European gaming sector will continue to evolve, with emerging technologies like cloud gaming, virtual reality and AI‑driven content creation shaping the next wave of development.
While the immediate outlook includes a need to address employment stagnation, the overall trajectory points toward a resilient industry capable of adapting to market shifts and technological disruption. In summary, the 2024 European Video Game Industry Insights Report confirms that the continent’s gaming ecosystem generated €24 billion in revenue, supported by over 6,600 studios and a workforce of more than 95,000 people.
The data underscores a sector that, despite facing talent‑base constraints and isolated employment declines, is still expanding its studio network, diversifying its geographic footprint, and laying the groundwork for future innovation across Europe.