The European video‑game market posted a combined revenue of €24 billion in 2024, supported by more than 6,600 development studios and a labour force that now exceeds 95,000 individuals. These figures come from the European Video Game Industry Insights Report, a joint publication of the European Games Development Association (EGDF) and Video Games Europe (VGA).
The report, which reflects data collected throughout 2024, is compiled in a two‑stage process: each of the 28 EGDF member organisations first prepares a national snapshot, after which the data are merged to produce a continent‑wide overview. While the overall talent pool in Europe has shown signs of stagnation – a rare pause after years of steady expansion – the number of active studios continued to rise, registering an increase somewhere between five and ten percent over the previous year.
This modest but meaningful growth was especially evident in nations such as Finland, Italy and the Czech Republic, where employment figures in game development saw incremental gains despite broader market headwinds. Poland emerged as the EU’s biggest employer in the sector, topping the chart with the highest number of staff working on game creation and publishing. The country also led in output, releasing 450 new titles during the year, a volume that outstripped any other European market. The United Kingdom followed with a sizeable workforce of 28,516 professionals, underscoring its continued relevance as a hub for both large‑scale studios and indie developers.
The 2024 edition of the report marked the first time that two smaller economies – Bulgaria and Cyprus – were included in the analysis. Cyprus, despite its modest size, generated €4.3 billion in turnover, a result that positioned it as the leading revenue‑generating hub in the region. The report described Cyprus as the "main game industry hub in terms of combined revenue," highlighting the island’s growing attractiveness for investment and talent. Bulgaria, meanwhile, was recognised as an "important regional hub surrounded by key European game industry talent" from neighbouring Romania and Türkiye.
The country’s strategic location and emerging talent pool have begun to draw attention from publishers seeking cost‑effective development partners, and its inclusion in the report signals a broader diversification of the European gaming landscape. The EGDF commented that the data demonstrate resilience in the face of a challenging macro‑economic environment. "The report demonstrates that despite challenging times, industry growth continued in several countries, in both revenue and the number of studios, lifting both indicators at the European level," the association noted.
This optimism is tempered, however, by evidence of consolidation and workforce reductions in certain markets. Layoffs, mergers and a slight decline in employment were observed in a handful of countries, marking the first recorded dip in staffing levels for the sector.
These mixed signals point to a nuanced picture of the European gaming ecosystem. On one hand, the steady rise in studio numbers suggests that entrepreneurial activity remains vibrant, with new ventures emerging to explore niches such as mobile gaming, virtual reality, and cloud‑based services. On the other hand, the plateau in talent growth and the occurrence of layoffs indicate that the industry is grappling with cost pressures, talent shortages in specialised roles, and the need to adapt to rapid technological change. Looking ahead, analysts anticipate that the sector will continue to evolve through a combination of organic growth and strategic partnerships.
Investment in education and training programmes is likely to become a priority for governments seeking to replenish the talent pipeline, while studios may increasingly turn to cross‑border collaborations to tap into diverse skill sets. Moreover, the rise of new markets such as Cyprus and Bulgaria suggests that Europe’s gaming map is becoming more distributed, offering opportunities for regional clusters to specialise in particular genres or technologies.
In summary, 2024 was a year of both consolidation and expansion for European game development. Revenue hit €24 billion, studio counts rose to over 6,600, and the workforce surpassed the 95,000 mark, even as some countries experienced the first dip in employment in the sector’s history.
The data underscore the sector’s capacity to adapt, innovate, and grow, while also highlighting the challenges that must be addressed to sustain momentum in the years to come.