In 2025 the European video‑game market generated a total of €30 billion in revenue, with digital sales making up an overwhelming 91 percent of that figure, according to the latest data released by Video Games Europe (VGE). This milestone underscores the continued shift toward online purchases, downloadable content and subscription services across the continent, while also highlighting the sector’s resilience in a competitive global environment. One of the most notable developments this year was the broadening of VGE’s flagship publication, the All About Games report. Previously the analysis had been limited to five major economies – the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain and Italy – collectively referred to as the EU5.
In the current edition the scope has been enlarged to cover sixteen countries, adding Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Sweden and Switzerland to the original list. This expansion provides a more nuanced picture of gaming activity across Central, Northern and Eastern Europe, and allows stakeholders to track trends in markets that were previously under‑represented.
The data underpinning the report were gathered by Ipsos, which was commissioned by VGE to pull together information from several reputable sources, including GameTrack, the Game Software Developers (GSD) association, and the newly published EGDF‑VGE Video Games Industry Insight Report. The combined survey reached 39,371 respondents, offering a robust sample size for both quantitative and qualitative insights.
When the numbers are broken down by region, the traditional EU5 markets experienced a modest contraction, with revenue falling 4 percent year‑on‑year to €25.7 billion, down from €26.8 billion in 2024. Germany remained the powerhouse of the group, delivering €6.5 billion in sales, followed by the United Kingdom and France. The decline was partially offset by growth in the newly added territories, where rising smartphone penetration and increased broadband coverage have spurred higher adoption of digital games. Employment figures paint an equally encouraging picture.
In 2025 there were roughly 123,000 people working in the video‑game ecosystem across 8,700 studios spread throughout the EU and the UK. Women accounted for 24 percent of the workforce, a modest but steady improvement over previous years, reflecting ongoing industry initiatives aimed at boosting gender diversity.
The United Kingdom employed the largest number of professionals – 28,520 – with Poland (14,930) and Germany (12,410) rounding out the top three. Platform preferences continued to evolve. Mobile phones and tablets dominated usage statistics, with 82 percent of gamers reporting they primarily played on these devices.
Consoles were the second most popular platform at 47 percent, while PCs accounted for 34 percent of playtime. Not only did mobile devices lead in terms of engagement, they also generated nearly half of the total €30 billion revenue, confirming the lucrative nature of the mobile market for publishers and advertisers alike.
In the console arena, Electronic Arts retained its leadership position. EA’s sports franchise, now in its 26th iteration as EA Sports FC26, claimed the top spot, with the previous year’s version, FC25, holding the second place. The third‑most‑played console title was Battlefield 6, a first‑person shooter that has resonated with European audiences. On the PC side, Battlefield 6 also emerged as the leading title, followed closely by Rockstar Games’ evergreen classics Red Dead Redemption 2 and Grand Theft Auto V.
These legacy games continue to attract substantial player bases thanks to regular updates, online multiplayer components and a strong modding community. Mobile gaming charts were topped by the casual phenomenon Coin Master, which secured the number‑one position. Royal Match and Candy Crush Saga followed as the second and third most played mobile games, respectively, illustrating the sustained popularity of match‑three and idle‑click mechanics among European users. Overall, 199 million Europeans reported playing video games in 2025, and women represented 46 percent of that audience – roughly 91.5 million female gamers.
The United Kingdom stood out as the single largest national market, with 25 million active players. Average weekly playtime across the continent was 8.39 hours, a slight dip from the 9.4 hours recorded in 2024. Younger players, however, continued to log the most time: children aged 6‑11 averaged 11.35 hours per week, while teenagers aged 12‑17 logged an average of 14.30 hours.
Parental involvement remains a significant factor in the European gaming landscape. Seventy‑five percent of parents indicated they like to be part of the decision‑making process when it comes to setting gaming limits for their children.
Moreover, 79 percent reported using one or more family‑setting tools to monitor or restrict gameplay, and 74 percent have formal agreements, monitoring practices, or family‑setting controls in place to manage online interactions. In the EU5 markets specifically, 72 percent of parents said their children did not make in‑game purchases. Among the minority who did, a striking 93 percent of parents reported that they actively supervise those transactions.
Notably, the average amount spent by children who are permitted to buy in‑game content fell by 13 percent compared with 2024, suggesting either tighter parental control, more cautious spending habits among young players, or a shift toward free‑to‑play models with less reliance on micro‑transactions. These findings collectively illustrate a vibrant, diversifying, and increasingly digital European gaming sector. While revenue growth in the traditional core markets has plateaued, the expansion into new territories, the dominance of mobile platforms, and the steady rise in employment and gender diversity all point toward a robust future for the industry across the continent.