In 2025 the European video‑game market produced roughly €30 billion in revenue, according to the latest figures released by Video Games Europe (VGE). Digital sales dominated the landscape, representing an impressive 91 percent of total earnings, underscoring the continued shift away from physical copies toward online purchases, downloadable content and in‑app transactions. This year VGE broadened the scope of its flagship All About Games report.
Where the study once focused on the five largest economies – the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain and Italy – it now incorporates data from an additional eleven nations: Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Sweden and Switzerland. By adding these markets, the analysis captures a more comprehensive picture of gaming activity across the continent, reflecting the growing importance of smaller but fast‑growing economies in the sector.
The expanded research was carried out in partnership with Ipsos, which pulled together information from several industry sources, including GameTrack, the German Software Distribution (GSD) data set, and the newly published EGDF‑VGE Video Games Industry Insight Report. In total, the survey gathered responses from 39,371 participants, providing a robust statistical base for the conclusions drawn. When the numbers are broken down by region, the traditional “EU5” bloc – the original five markets – saw a modest contraction of 4 percent year‑on‑year, falling from €26.8 billion in 2024 to €25.7 billion in 2025.
Germany remained the powerhouse of the group, generating €6.5 billion, the highest national total among the EU5. The decline was modest, suggesting that while growth has slowed, the core markets remain resilient.
Employment figures paint an encouraging picture of the industry’s contribution to the European labour market. In 2025, an estimated 123,000 individuals were employed across roughly 8,700 development studios spread throughout the EU and the United Kingdom. Women accounted for 24 percent of the workforce, a modest but noteworthy share that highlights ongoing efforts to improve gender balance in a historically male‑dominated field. The United Kingdom led the continent in terms of staffing, with 28,520 people working in game‑related roles.
Poland followed with 14,930 employees, and Germany came in third with 12,410 staff members. These figures illustrate the concentration of talent in both established hubs and emerging centres of development. Platform preferences continued to evolve. Mobile phones and tablets dominated usage, with 82 percent of gamers reporting they primarily played on these devices.
Console play remained strong at 47 percent, while PC usage accounted for 34 percent of the audience. Notably, mobile and tablet platforms also contributed nearly half of the total revenue, confirming the lucrative nature of the mobile market and the effectiveness of micro‑transactions and ad‑supported models. In the console arena, Electronic Arts retained its leadership position.
EA Sports FC26 and its predecessor FC25 occupied the top two slots on the console charts, while the long‑awaited Battlefield 6 secured the third place. On the PC front, Battlefield 6 also claimed the number‑one spot, followed closely by Rockstar Games’ enduring classics Red Dead Redemption 2 and Grand Theft Auto 5, which continue to generate strong sales years after their initial release. Mobile gaming saw a different set of leaders. The casual‑strategy title Coin Master topped the rankings, with Royal Match and the ever‑popular Candy Crush Saga trailing behind.
These titles exemplify the stickiness of free‑to‑play models that rely on frequent, low‑value purchases. Overall, 199 million Europeans reported playing video games in 2025.
Women represented a substantial portion of that audience, accounting for 46 percent (approximately 91.5 million female players). The United Kingdom emerged as the single largest national market, with 25 million gamers. When it comes to time spent playing, the average European gamer logged 8.39 hours per week, a slight decline from the 9.4 hours recorded in 2024.
Younger players still devoted more time: children aged 6‑11 averaged 11.35 hours weekly, while teenagers aged 12‑17 logged an even higher 14.30 hours per week. These figures suggest that while overall engagement may be tapering slightly, the younger demographic remains highly active. Parental involvement in gaming habits also featured prominently in the survey.
Seventy‑five percent of European parents indicated a preference for being part of the decision‑making process regarding video‑game restrictions for their children. Moreover, 79 percent reported using one or more family‑setting tools—such as screen‑time limits, content filters or purchase controls—to monitor or curb gameplay. Seventy‑four percent said they had established agreements, actively supervised, or employed family‑setting features to manage online interactions and protect their children from inappropriate content. In the EU5 region specifically, 72 percent of parents said their children did not make in‑game purchases at all.
Among the minority who did buy digital items, a striking 93 percent of parents claimed they closely supervised those transactions. Interestingly, the average amount spent by children who were permitted to make in‑game purchases fell by 13 percent compared with 2024, indicating either more cautious spending habits or increased parental oversight.
Taken together, these data points illustrate a maturing European gaming ecosystem: robust revenues driven by digital sales, expanding geographic coverage, steady employment, and a clear focus on responsible gaming practices, especially among younger players. The continued dominance of mobile platforms, alongside strong performance from established console and PC titles, suggests a diversified market that can adapt to shifting consumer preferences while maintaining solid growth prospects for the years ahead.