In 2025 the European video‑game market generated a total of €30 billion in revenue, with digital sales representing a striking 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, subscriptions, and downloadable content across the continent, and it reflects the sector’s resilience despite modest declines in some traditional markets. A major development this year was the broadening of VGE’s flagship "All About Games" report. Previously confined to the five largest economies – the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain and Italy – the study now incorporates data from an additional eleven countries: 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 gaming activity, consumer preferences, and industry health throughout the European Union and the United Kingdom. To compile the expanded dataset, VGE commissioned the market‑research firm Ipsos, which pulled figures from several reputable sources, including the GameTrack and GSD databases as well as the newly released EGDF‑VGE Video Games Industry Insight Report. The resulting survey captured responses from 39,371 participants, offering a robust sample that reflects both casual players and dedicated enthusiasts across the region. When the numbers are broken down, the original five‑country bloc (often referred to as the "EU5") showed a modest year‑on‑year decline of 4 percent, slipping from €26.8 billion in 2024 to €25.7 billion in 2025.
Germany remained the top‑earning nation within this group, delivering €6.5 billion in sales, followed by the United Kingdom, France, Italy and Spain. The contraction can be attributed in part to market saturation and a slight slowdown in console hardware cycles, but the overall health of the sector remains strong thanks to the explosive growth of mobile and tablet gaming.
Employment figures paint an equally encouraging picture. Across the EU and the UK, 123,000 individuals were employed by 8,700 development studios in 2025.
Women accounted for roughly one‑quarter of the workforce (24 percent), a figure that, while still indicating a gender gap, marks a gradual improvement over previous years. The United Kingdom hosted the largest number of gaming professionals, with 28,520 employees, while Poland (14,930) and Germany (12,410) followed closely behind.
These numbers highlight the importance of the industry as a source of high‑skill, well‑paid jobs throughout the region. Platform usage data reveal that mobile phones and tablets dominate the European gaming landscape, with 82 percent of respondents indicating they play on these devices. Consoles were the second‑most popular platform at 47 percent, and personal computers accounted for 34 percent of playtime. In terms of revenue contribution, mobile and tablet gaming alone generated almost half of the total €30 billion, confirming the continuing ascendancy of on‑the‑go gaming experiences.
When it comes to the most successful titles, the console market was led by Electronic Arts, whose flagship sports series EA Sports FC26 and its predecessor FC25 claimed the top two spots, with the military shooter Battlefield 6 taking third place. Battlefield 6 also topped the PC charts, where it was followed by Rockstar Games’ long‑standing hits Red Dead Redemption 2 and Grand Theft Auto 5, both of which continue to attract substantial player bases through regular updates and online modes. On the mobile side, the casual‑gaming juggernaut Coin Master held the number‑one position, while Royal Match and the evergreen Candy Crush Saga occupied the second and third slots respectively.
These titles benefit from freemium business models that blend engaging gameplay with in‑app purchases, a strategy that aligns with the high proportion of digital revenue observed across the market. Player demographics show that 199 million Europeans engaged in gaming activities during 2025. Women represented 46 percent of this audience, amounting to 91.5 million female gamers, which underscores the increasingly gender‑balanced nature of the hobby. The United Kingdom emerged as the single largest national market, with 25 million active players.
Average weekly playtime across the continent was measured at 8.39 hours, a slight dip from the 9.4 hours recorded in 2024. Age‑specific data indicate that children aged 6‑11 logged an average of 11.35 hours per week, while teenagers aged 12‑17 averaged 14.30 hours, reflecting the strong appeal of games among younger cohorts. Parental involvement remains a significant factor in the European gaming ecosystem. Seventy‑five percent of parents reported that they prefer to take an active role in setting limits on their children’s gaming activities.
Moreover, 79 percent of households use at least one family‑setting tool—such as screen‑time controls, purchase restrictions, or content filters—to monitor or curtail gameplay, and 74 percent have established agreements or employ these tools to manage online interactions and social features. In the EU5 markets specifically, 72 percent of parents said their children did not make in‑game purchases.
Among the minority who did, a substantial 93 percent of parents indicated that they closely 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 increased parental oversight or a shift in spending habits toward free‑to‑play experiences. Overall, the 2025 data illustrate a vibrant and evolving European gaming sector. While traditional console revenues face modest pressure, the explosive growth of mobile and tablet platforms, coupled with a diversified portfolio of popular titles and a steadily expanding workforce, positions the industry for continued expansion in the years ahead.