In 2025 the European video‑game industry 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 continued shift toward online purchases and the growing importance of downloadable content, micro‑transactions and subscription services across the continent. A notable development this year is the broadening of VGE’s flagship publication, the All About Games report. Previously confined to the five largest European gaming economies – the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain and Italy – the study now encompasses sixteen countries.
The additional territories are Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Sweden and Switzerland. By widening the geographic scope, VGE aims to provide a more comprehensive picture of market dynamics, consumer habits and employment trends throughout the broader European region. To compile the data, VGE commissioned the market‑research firm Ipsos, which drew on several established sources, including GameTrack, the German Software Distribution (GSD) database, and the newly released EGDF‑VGE Video Games Industry Insight Report.
The combined survey reached 39,371 respondents, offering a robust sample that reflects a wide cross‑section of gamers, industry professionals and households. When the numbers are broken down by the original five‑country bloc (often referred to as the EU5), total revenue fell by 4 percent year‑on‑year, slipping from €26.8 billion in 2024 to €25.7 billion in 2025.
Despite the overall dip, Germany continued to lead the pack, generating €6.5 billion in sales, making it the single largest contributor among the EU5. Employment figures paint an encouraging picture of industry health. In 2025, the sector employed roughly 123,000 individuals across 8,700 development studios situated in the European Union and the United Kingdom. Women represented 24 percent of the total workforce, indicating gradual progress toward gender balance in a traditionally male‑dominated field.
The United Kingdom emerged as the biggest employer, with 28,520 staff members working in game‑related roles. Poland followed with 14,930 employees, and Germany accounted for 12,410 workers.
These numbers highlight the growing importance of Eastern European hubs as talent pools and production centers. Platform usage data shows that mobile devices and tablets remain the primary way Europeans access games, with 82 percent of respondents reporting they play on these devices. Consoles hold the second‑largest share at 47 percent, while PC gaming accounts for 34 percent of usage. In monetary terms, mobile and tablet platforms also delivered almost half of the total industry revenue, underscoring the lucrative nature of the mobile market.
In the console arena, Electronic Arts retained its leadership position throughout 2025. The company’s flagship sports titles, EA Sports FC 26 and FC 25, occupied the top two slots on the console charts, with the tactical shooter Battlefield 6 securing the third place. Battlefield 6 also dominated the PC segment, where it was followed by Rockstar Games’ enduring classics Red Dead Redemption 2 and Grand Theft Auto 5, both of which continue to generate strong sales years after their initial releases.
Mobile gaming rankings were led by the casual hit Coin Master, which claimed the number‑one spot. It was trailed by Royal Match and the long‑standing Candy Crush Saga, both of which remain popular due to regular content updates and strong brand recognition. Overall player numbers reached 199 million Europeans in 2025, with women constituting 46 percent of the audience – roughly 91.5 million female gamers.
The United Kingdom again topped the individual market rankings, boasting 25 million active players. Average weekly playtime across the region measured 8.39 hours per person, a slight decline from the 9.4 hours recorded in 2024.
Younger demographics logged the highest engagement: children aged 6‑11 averaged 11.35 hours per week, while teenagers aged 12‑17 spent an average of 14.30 hours gaming each week. Parental involvement in gaming habits remains high. Seventy‑five percent of European parents expressed a desire to take part in setting limits on their children’s video‑game activity. Moreover, 79 percent reported using one or more family‑setting tools – such as time‑limits, content filters or purchase restrictions – to supervise or curb gameplay.
Seventy‑four percent said they have explicit agreements, monitoring practices, or family‑setting configurations in place to manage online interactions and ensure safety. Within the EU5, 72 percent of parents indicated that their children did not make in‑game purchases.
Of the minority who did, a striking 93 percent of parents claimed they actively monitored 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 tighter parental controls, increased price sensitivity, or a shift in spending habits toward free‑to‑play models. These findings collectively illustrate a vibrant yet evolving European gaming ecosystem. While revenue growth has plateaued and even slipped in some traditional markets, the sector continues to expand its workforce, diversify its geographic footprint and deepen its engagement with mobile platforms.
The data also reveal a maturing audience, with a significant proportion of women participating, and a generation of younger players who spend considerable time gaming but are increasingly overseen by vigilant parents. As the industry moves forward, stakeholders are likely to focus on balancing monetisation strategies with responsible gaming practices, fostering inclusive employment, and capitalising on the sustained popularity of both mobile and console experiences across Europe.