In 2025 the European video‑game sector amassed a total turnover of €30 billion, with digital sales representing an overwhelming 91 percent of that figure, according to the latest data released by Video Games Europe (VGE). This milestone underscores the continuing shift toward online distribution and in‑app purchases across the continent, a trend that has been accelerating for several years.
One of the most notable developments in VGE’s 2025 release is the dramatic broadening of its flagship "All About Games" report. Whereas previous editions focused solely on the five largest European markets – the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain and Italy – the new edition now incorporates data from an additional eleven countries: Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Sweden and Switzerland. By extending the geographic scope to sixteen nations, VGE aims to provide a more comprehensive picture of gaming habits, economic impact and employment trends across the whole European region.
The data collection effort behind the report was extensive. VGE commissioned the market‑research firm Ipsos to pull together information from several established sources, including GameTrack, the Global Software Development (GSD) database, and the freshly published EGDF‑VGE Video Games Industry Insight Report.
The combined survey reached 39,371 respondents, representing a cross‑section of gamers, industry professionals and households throughout the surveyed nations. When the numbers for the original "EU5" – the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain and Italy – are examined in isolation, total revenue actually fell by 4 percent compared with the previous year, slipping from €26.8 billion in 2024 to €25.7 billion in 2025.
Germany remained the dominant market within this core group, generating €6.5 billion, the highest national figure among the five. The modest decline in the EU5 is offset by the strong performance of the newly added territories, which together contributed roughly €4.3 billion to the overall European total, helping the continent as a whole to reach the €30 billion benchmark. Employment data paints an equally encouraging picture.
In 2025, the gaming ecosystem across the EU and the United Kingdom supported 123,000 jobs spread across 8,700 development studios, ranging from indie start‑ups to large multinational publishers. Women accounted for 24 percent of the workforce, indicating gradual progress toward gender balance in a historically male‑dominated field. The United Kingdom led the continent in terms of sheer employee count, with 28,520 people working in game‑related roles. Poland followed with 14,930 employees, while Germany employed 12,410 professionals.
Platform usage trends continued to evolve. Mobile phones and tablets remained the most popular devices for playing games, with 82 percent of gamers reporting that they primarily use these handheld platforms.
Consoles were the second‑most common choice at 47 percent, and personal computers accounted for 34 percent of usage. Notably, mobile and tablet gaming generated almost half of the total industry revenue, highlighting the lucrative nature of the free‑to‑play and micro‑transaction models that dominate that segment. In the console arena, Electronic Arts retained its leadership position in 2025.
The company’s flagship sports titles, EA Sports FC26 and FC25, occupied the top two slots on console sales charts, with the long‑running first‑person shooter Battlefield 6 taking the third place. Battlefield 6 also emerged as the best‑selling title on PC, where it was trailed by Rockstar Games’ evergreen 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 saw a slightly different set of leaders.
The casual‑strategy game Coin Master claimed the number‑one position, followed closely by Royal Match and the ever‑popular Candy Crush Saga. These titles illustrate the diversity of the mobile market, where both chance‑based mechanics and puzzle‑oriented gameplay thrive. Overall player reach expanded to 199 million individuals across Europe, with women representing 46 percent of that audience – roughly 91.5 million female gamers.
The United Kingdom remained the single largest national market, boasting 25 million active players. On average, Europeans spent 8.39 hours per week gaming in 2025, a slight dip 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 about 14.30 hours weekly, indicating that younger cohorts are still highly engaged despite growing concerns about screen time. Parental involvement in gaming habits was also highlighted.
A substantial 75 percent of European parents expressed a desire to take an active role in setting limits on their children’s gaming activities. Correspondingly, 79 percent reported using one or more family‑setting tools – such as time‑limits, content filters or purchase restrictions – to monitor or curb gameplay. Additionally, 74 percent indicated that they have established agreements, conduct regular monitoring, or employ family settings to manage online interactions and ensure safety. When focusing on the EU5 markets, 72 percent of parents said their children did not make in‑game purchases at all.
Of the minority who did buy digital items, an impressive 93 percent of parents reported that they kept a close eye on those transactions. Interestingly, the average amount spent by children who were permitted to purchase in‑game content fell by 13 percent compared with 2024, suggesting that either parental controls are becoming more effective or that children are becoming more cautious with micro‑spending. Taken together, these figures illustrate a vibrant, increasingly digital European gaming landscape.
Revenue growth, broadened geographic coverage, a steady rise in employment, and heightened parental engagement all point to an industry that is both economically significant and socially influential. As the sector continues to evolve, stakeholders—from developers and publishers to policymakers and families—will need to adapt to the shifting dynamics of platform preference, monetisation models, and consumer behaviour to sustain the momentum achieved in 2025.