In 2025 the European video‑game market 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 digital distribution channels across the continent. A notable development this year was the broadening of VGE’s flagship research 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 covers a total of sixteen countries. The additional participants are Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Sweden and Switzerland. By incorporating these markets, VGE aims to provide a more comprehensive picture of the industry’s health and trends across the whole European region, including both Western and Central‑Eastern economies.
To compile the data, VGE commissioned the market‑research firm Ipsos, which pulled information from several established sources such as GameTrack, the German Software Developers Association (GSD) and the newly released EGDF‑VGE Video Games Industry Insight Report. The combined survey reached 39,371 respondents, offering a robust sample size that captures both consumer behaviour and industry performance. When the numbers for the original five‑country bloc (often referred to as the EU5) are examined in isolation, a modest contraction becomes apparent. Revenue in these core markets fell by 4 percent year‑on‑year, dropping from €26.8 billion in 2024 to €25.7 billion in 2025.
Germany remained the powerhouse of the group, generating €6.5 billion, the highest national total among the EU5. Employment figures also paint an encouraging picture. Across the United Kingdom and the European Union, 123,000 individuals were employed by 8,700 game‑development studios in 2025.
Women accounted for roughly a quarter of the workforce, representing 24 percent of all employees. The United Kingdom led in headcount with 28,520 staff members, followed by Poland with 14,930 and Germany with 12,410. These numbers highlight the sector’s role as a significant source of skilled jobs and its contribution to the broader digital economy. Platform usage patterns continued to evolve.
Mobile phones and tablets dominated the landscape, with 82 percent of gamers indicating they primarily used these devices. Console play remained strong at 47 percent, while PC usage was reported by 34 percent of respondents. Notably, mobile and tablet platforms were responsible for nearly half of the total industry revenue, confirming the lucrative nature of the mobile gaming segment.
In the console arena, Electronic Arts retained the top spot in 2025. EA’s flagship sports titles, EA Sports FC26 and FC25, occupied the two leading positions on the console charts, with the tactical shooter Battlefield 6 rounding out the top three. Battlefield 6 also led the PC market, followed closely by Rockstar Games’ enduring classics Red Dead Redemption 2 and Grand Theft Auto 5, which continue to attract sizable audiences despite being several years old.
Mobile gaming leaders were equally clear. The casual‑strategy title Coin Master claimed the number‑one position, while Royal Match and the long‑standing puzzle phenomenon Candy Crush Saga secured the second and third slots respectively.
These results illustrate the staying power of free‑to‑play titles that rely on in‑app purchases and ad‑based monetisation. Player demographics revealed that 199 million Europeans engaged in gaming activities during 2025.
Women made up 46 percent of this audience, translating to 91.5 million female gamers. The United Kingdom emerged as the single largest national market, with 25 million active players. Average weekly playtime across the region was 8.39 hours, a slight decline from the 9.4 hours recorded in 2024. Age‑specific data showed that children aged 6‑11 spent an average of 11.35 hours per week gaming, while teenagers aged 12‑17 logged 14.30 hours per week, indicating that younger cohorts remain highly engaged.
Parental involvement in gaming habits also featured prominently in the survey. Seventy‑five percent of European parents expressed a desire to be part of the decision‑making process when it comes to setting video‑game limits for their children.
Moreover, 79 percent reported using one or more family‑setting tools to monitor or restrict gameplay, and 74 percent said they have explicit agreements, monitoring practices, or family‑setting configurations in place to manage online interactions. Within the EU5, 72 percent of parents indicated that their children did not make in‑game purchases.
Among the minority who did buy digital content, a substantial 93 percent of parents said they actively oversaw those transactions. Interestingly, the average amount spent by children who were permitted to purchase in‑game items fell by 13 percent compared with 2024, suggesting either more cautious spending habits or the impact of parental controls.
Overall, the 2025 data set paints a picture of a mature yet still expanding European gaming ecosystem. While revenue growth in the traditional core markets showed a modest dip, the sector’s diversification across new countries, platforms, and demographic groups points to a resilient industry poised for continued evolution.
The increasing share of digital sales, the solid employment base, and the high engagement levels among both male and female gamers underscore the sector’s significance as a cultural and economic driver throughout Europe.