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 figures released by Video Games Europe (VGE). This milestone underscores the continuing shift toward online and downloadable content across the continent’s diverse gaming landscape.
A notable development this year was the broadening of VGE’s flagship publication, the All About Games report. Previously limited to the five largest markets—namely the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain and Italy—the analysis now incorporates data from an additional eleven countries: Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Sweden and Switzerland. By covering sixteen economies, the report offers a more comprehensive view of the region’s gaming ecosystem and highlights emerging trends in markets that were previously under‑represented.
To compile the expanded dataset, VGE commissioned 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 resulting survey captured the responses of 39,371 participants, providing a robust statistical foundation for the conclusions presented.
When the numbers for the original five‑country bloc (EU5) are examined in isolation, revenue 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 this group, generating €6.5 billion in sales, followed by the United Kingdom, France, Italy and Spain. Employment figures paint an encouraging picture of the sector’s health. Across the European Union and the United Kingdom, 123,000 individuals were employed by 8,700 game‑development studios in 2025.
Women accounted for roughly a quarter of the workforce (24 percent), indicating gradual progress toward gender balance in an industry traditionally dominated by men. The United Kingdom employed the largest number of professionals—28,520 staff members—while Poland and Germany followed with 14,930 and 12,410 employees respectively.
Platform preferences among European gamers continued to evolve. Mobile phones and tablets dominated usage, with 82 percent of respondents indicating they primarily played on these devices.
Consoles were the second‑most popular platform at 47 percent, and personal computers trailed at 34 percent. In terms of revenue generation, mobile and tablet gaming contributed almost half of the total €30 billion, confirming the importance of the handheld market for publishers and developers alike. The console segment was led by Electronic Arts, whose flagship titles EA Sports FC 26 and FC 25 occupied the top two slots on the console leaderboard, with Battlefield 6 securing the third position.
On the PC front, Battlefield 6 also claimed the number‑one spot, while Rockstar Games’ enduring classics Red Dead Redemption 2 and Grand Theft Auto V held the next two positions, demonstrating the lasting appeal of high‑quality, narrative‑driven experiences. Mobile gaming charts were topped by the casual‑puzzle title Coin Master, followed closely by Royal Match and the long‑standing Candy Crush Saga. These results highlight the continued strength of the free‑to‑play, micro‑transaction‑driven model that dominates the smartphone market.
Player demographics revealed that 199 million Europeans engaged in video‑games during 2025. Women represented a substantial share of this audience—46 percent, or roughly 91.5 million players—underscoring the increasingly gender‑balanced nature of the hobby. The United Kingdom emerged as the single largest national market, boasting 25 million active gamers. Average weekly playtime across the region fell slightly, dropping to 8.39 hours from 9.4 hours the previous year.
Younger players, however, still logged significant hours: children aged 6‑11 averaged 11.35 hours per week, while teenagers aged 12‑17 averaged 14.30 hours, reflecting the strong appeal of interactive entertainment among younger cohorts. 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 gaming activities.
Moreover, 79 percent reported using one or more family‑setting tools—such as time‑limits, content filters or purchase restrictions—to monitor or curb playtime, and 74 percent said they have explicit agreements or employ family‑setting features to manage online interactions. In the EU5 markets, 72 percent of parents indicated that their children did not make in‑game purchases. Among the minority who did, a striking 93 percent said they actively supervised those transactions. Notably, the average amount spent by children who were permitted to buy in‑game content fell by 13 percent compared with 2024, suggesting either more cautious spending habits or the impact of parental controls.
Overall, the 2025 data paints a picture of a vibrant, digitally‑focused European gaming industry that is expanding both geographically and demographically. While revenue growth in the traditional EU5 markets has modestly contracted, the inclusion of new countries and the continued dominance of mobile platforms signal ample opportunities for developers, publishers and ancillary service providers to innovate and capture a growing audience across the continent.