In 2025 the European video‑game sector amassed a total turnover of €30 billion, with digital transactions representing a dominant 91 percent of that figure, according to the latest data released by Video Games Europe (VGE). This milestone underscores the continuing shift toward online purchases and the growing importance of digital distribution channels across the continent. A notable development this year was the broadening of VGE’s flagship study, 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 extending its geographical reach to sixteen economies, VGE aims to provide a more comprehensive picture of gaming activity throughout the European Union and the UK. To compile the new report, VGE engaged the market‑research firm Ipsos, which drew on a combination of sources including GameTrack, the Global Software Distribution (GSD) database and the freshly published EGDF‑VGE Video Games Industry Insight Report.
The survey gathered responses from 39,371 participants, offering a robust statistical foundation for the findings. When the numbers are broken down by region, the traditional “EU5” bloc—those original five markets—experienced a modest contraction of 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 revenue, followed closely by the United Kingdom, France, Italy and Spain. Employment figures also paint an encouraging portrait of the industry’s health.
Across the EU and the UK, 123,000 individuals were employed by roughly 8,700 development studios in 2025. Women accounted for 24 percent of this workforce, highlighting gradual progress toward gender balance in a sector that has traditionally been male‑dominated. The United Kingdom led in headcount with 28,520 employees, Poland came in second with 14,930 staff members, and Germany rounded out the top three with 12,410 workers.
Platform usage trends continued to favour mobile devices. Smartphones and tablets were the primary way Europeans accessed games, with an 82 percent adoption rate. Console usage stood at 47 percent, while PC gaming captured 34 percent of the market.
In monetary terms, mobile and tablet platforms alone generated almost half of the total €30 billion revenue, confirming the central role of on‑the‑go gaming in today’s consumer habits. The console segment was led by Electronic Arts, whose flagship titles EA Sports FC26 and FC25 occupied the two highest positions on the sales chart, with the third spot taken by Battlefield 6.
On the PC front, Battlefield 6 also claimed the top ranking, followed by Rockstar Games’ evergreen classics Red Dead Redemption 2 and Grand Theft Auto 5, which continue to attract substantial player bases despite their age. Mobile gaming rankings were dominated by casual titles. Coin Master secured the number‑one spot, while Royal Match and Candy Crush Saga followed in second and third place respectively. These results illustrate the enduring popularity of easy‑to‑play, free‑to‑download games that monetize through in‑app purchases and advertisements.
Overall participation in gaming remained high, with 199 million Europeans reporting that they played video games during the year. Women represented a sizable share of this audience—46 percent, or roughly 91.5 million female gamers. The United Kingdom emerged as the single largest market in terms of player count, boasting 25 million active gamers. Average weekly playtime across the region was measured at 8.39 hours per person, a slight decline from the 9.4 hours recorded in 2024.
Age‑specific data revealed that younger children (6‑11 years) logged an average of 11.35 hours per week, while teenagers (12‑17 years) spent even more time gaming, averaging 14.30 hours weekly. Parental involvement in gaming habits also featured prominently in the survey.
Seventy‑five percent of European parents expressed a desire to be actively involved in setting limits on their children’s video‑game usage. Correspondingly, 79 percent reported using one or more family‑setting tools to monitor or restrict gameplay, and 74 percent indicated that they have established agreements, supervision practices, or technical controls to manage online interactions. Within the EU5 markets, 72 percent of parents said their children did not make in‑game purchases.
Of the minority who did, a striking 93 percent of parents claimed to keep a close eye on those transactions. Moreover, the average amount spent by children who were permitted to buy in‑game content fell by 13 percent compared with 2024, suggesting either tighter parental oversight or a shift in spending habits among younger gamers. These findings collectively highlight a vibrant, increasingly digital European gaming ecosystem that is expanding both geographically and demographically. While revenue growth has plateaued in some of the traditional powerhouses, the sector’s diversification into new markets, platforms, and audience segments points to sustained opportunity for developers, publishers, and ancillary service providers in the years ahead.