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 data 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 publication, the All About Games report. Previously confined to five major markets – the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain and Italy – the analysis now incorporates data from an additional eleven nations, bringing the total coverage to sixteen.
The newly added territories are Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Sweden and Switzerland. By widening its geographic scope, VGE aims to provide a more comprehensive picture of gaming activity throughout Europe, reflecting the diverse consumer bases and industry ecosystems that exist beyond the traditional powerhouses. To compile the expanded dataset, VGE commissioned market‑research firm Ipsos, which drew on information from several reputable sources, including GameTrack, the Game Software Developers (GSD) association, and the recently published EGDF‑VGE Video Games Industry Insight Report.
The resulting survey captured responses from 39,371 participants, offering a robust sample that supports reliable trend analysis. 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 across these core markets fell by 4 percent year‑on‑year, slipping from €26.8 billion in 2024 to €25.7 billion in 2025.
Germany remained the largest single contributor, generating €6.5 billion in sales, followed by the United Kingdom, France, Italy and Spain in descending order. Employment figures paint an equally detailed portrait of the sector’s health. In 2025, the combined United Kingdom and European Union region was home to roughly 123,000 people working in the gaming industry, spread across an estimated 8,700 development studios, publishers and ancillary service providers.
Women accounted for about 24 percent of this workforce, highlighting ongoing gender‑balance challenges that the industry continues to address. Country‑by‑country, the United Kingdom employed the greatest number of gaming professionals, with 28,520 staff members, while Poland and Germany followed with 14,930 and 12,410 employees respectively.
These figures illustrate the concentration of talent hubs in both Western and Central Europe, and they suggest that smaller markets are also cultivating sizable creative communities. Platform preferences among European gamers continued to evolve.
Mobile phones and tablets dominated usage, with 82 percent of respondents indicating they primarily played on these devices. Consoles were the second‑most popular platform at 47 percent, and personal computers accounted for 34 percent of playtime. In monetary terms, mobile and tablet gaming contributed almost half of the total industry revenue, reaffirming the lucrative nature of the smartphone ecosystem. The console segment saw Electronic Arts retain its leadership position throughout 2025.
EA’s flagship sports titles, EA Sports FC26 and its predecessor FC25, occupied the top two slots on console charts, while the long‑awaited Battlefield 6 secured the third place. On the PC front, Battlefield 6 also claimed the number‑one position, with Rockstar Games’ enduring classics Red Dead Redemption 2 and Grand Theft Auto 5 trailing closely behind, demonstrating the lasting appeal of legacy titles alongside new releases. Mobile gaming leaders differed markedly. The casual‑gaming juggernaut Coin Master topped the mobile leaderboard, followed by Royal Match and the ever‑popular Candy Crush Saga.
These results reflect the continued dominance of free‑to‑play, micro‑transaction‑driven titles in the mobile arena. Player demographics revealed that 199 million Europeans engaged in video‑game play during 2025. Women represented a substantial portion of the audience – 46 percent, or roughly 91.5 million female gamers. The United Kingdom emerged as the single largest national market, boasting 25 million active players.
Average weekly playtime across the region amounted to 8.39 hours per person, a slight decline from the 9.4 hours recorded in 2024. Age‑specific data showed that younger children (ages 6‑11) logged an average of 11.35 hours per week, while teenagers (ages 12‑17) spent even more time gaming, averaging 14.30 hours weekly. These figures suggest that, despite a modest overall reduction in playtime, younger cohorts remain highly engaged.
Parental involvement in gaming habits was pronounced. Seventy‑five percent of European parents expressed a desire to take an active role in setting limits on their children’s video‑game usage.
Moreover, 79 percent reported using one or more family‑setting tools – such as time‑limits, content filters or purchase restrictions – to monitor or curb gameplay. An additional 74 percent indicated that they have explicit agreements with their children, employ monitoring software, or rely on built‑in family settings to manage online interactions and ensure safe digital experiences.
Within 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, a striking 93 percent of parents claimed they kept a close watch on those transactions, reflecting heightened awareness of micro‑transaction spending among younger players. Notably, the average amount spent by children who were permitted to purchase in‑game content fell by 13 percent compared with the previous year, suggesting either increased parental oversight, more prudent spending habits, or a shift toward free‑to‑play models that rely less on direct purchases.
Overall, the 2025 data paints a picture of a mature, digitally‑focused European gaming market that is expanding its analytical reach, maintaining strong revenue streams, and grappling with evolving consumer behaviors and parental concerns. The industry’s continued growth, combined with the diversification of platforms and the steady involvement of a broad demographic, underscores its significance as a cultural and economic force across the continent.