In 2025 the European video‑game market generated a total of €30 billion in revenue, with digital transactions representing a dominant 91 percent of that figure, according to the latest figures released by Video Games Europe (VGE). This milestone underscores the continuing shift toward online purchases, subscriptions and micro‑transactions across the continent’s gaming ecosystem. A notable development this year was the broadening of VGE’s flagship research publication, the All About Games report. Previously confined to the five largest European markets – the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain and Italy – the study now incorporates data from an additional eleven countries, bringing the total coverage to sixteen.
The new participants are Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Sweden and Switzerland. By widening the geographical scope, VGE aims to present a more comprehensive picture of the region’s diverse gaming landscape. To compile the expanded dataset, VGE commissioned market‑research firm Ipsos, which drew on information from GameTrack, the German Software Developers Association (GSD) and the freshly published EGDF‑VGE Video Games Industry Insight Report.
The combined survey reached 39,371 respondents, offering a robust statistical foundation for the analysis. When the figures for the original five‑country bloc (often referred to as the EU5) are examined in isolation, revenue fell by 4 percent year‑on‑year, slipping to €25.7 billion from €26.8 billion in 2024.
Germany remained the top‑earning nation within this group, delivering €6.5 billion in sales, followed by the United Kingdom, France, Italy and Spain. Employment data paints a similarly vibrant picture. In 2025, the gaming sector across the EU and the UK provided jobs for roughly 123,000 individuals, spread across 8,700 development studios and related enterprises. Women accounted for about a quarter of the workforce (24 percent), a modest but steady increase compared with previous years.
The United Kingdom emerged as the largest employer, with 28,520 people working in game‑related roles. Poland and Germany followed, employing 14,930 and 12,410 professionals respectively. The remaining studios were scattered across the other participating nations, contributing to a fairly balanced distribution of talent throughout the region. 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 personal computers captured 34 percent of the audience. Notably, mobile and tablet play also generated almost half of the total industry revenue, highlighting the profitability of the handheld market.
In terms of software performance, Electronic Arts retained its lead on consoles in 2025. The company’s flagship sports titles, EA Sports FC26 and FC25, occupied the top two slots on console sales charts, with the military‑shooter Battlefield 6 taking the third position. Battlefield 6 also topped the PC leaderboard, followed closely by Rockstar Games’ enduring classics Red Dead Redemption 2 and Grand Theft Auto 5, which continue to attract strong sales long after their initial releases. The mobile segment saw a different set of leaders.
The casual‑gaming phenomenon Coin Master secured the number‑one spot, while Royal Match and the long‑standing Candy Crush Saga filled out the top three. These titles illustrate the continued appeal of free‑to‑play models that rely on in‑app purchases and regular content updates. Player demographics revealed that 199 million Europeans engaged in gaming activities during 2025.
Women represented 46 percent of this audience, translating to roughly 91.5 million female gamers. The United Kingdom again stood out as the single largest market, with an estimated 25 million active players. Average weekly playtime across the continent measured 8.39 hours, a slight decline from the 9.4 hours recorded in 2024.
Younger gamers, however, still devoted considerable time to their hobby: children aged 6‑11 logged an average of 11.35 hours per week, while teenagers aged 12‑17 averaged 14.30 hours. Parental involvement remains a key factor in the European gaming environment. 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 make use of one or more family‑setting tools to monitor or restrict playtime, and 74 percent have established agreements, monitoring practices, or family‑setting configurations to manage online interactions.
Within the EU5 markets specifically, 72 percent of parents indicated that their children did not purchase in‑game content at all. Among the minority who did make purchases, a striking 93 percent said they kept a close eye on those transactions.
Interestingly, the average amount spent by children who were permitted to buy in‑game items fell by 13 percent compared with the previous year, suggesting a more cautious spending approach or perhaps the impact of increased parental oversight. Overall, the 2025 data set paints a picture of a mature, digitally‑focused gaming industry that continues to expand its geographic reach, diversify its platforms, and engage a broad, gender‑balanced audience, all while navigating the evolving expectations of both consumers and regulators across Europe.