In 2025 the European video‑game sector 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 continuing shift toward online and downloadable content across the continent, as physical copies become an increasingly marginal segment of the market. A notable development this year is the broadening of VGE’s flagship "All About Games" report. Previously the study focused on the five largest European gaming economies – the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain and Italy – collectively known as the EU5.
The 2025 edition now incorporates data from an additional eleven countries: Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Sweden and Switzerland. By extending its geographic reach, VGE provides a more comprehensive picture of gaming activity throughout the region, capturing trends in both established and emerging markets. To compile the expanded dataset, VGE commissioned market‑research firm Ipsos, which pulled figures from several reputable sources, including GameTrack, the Global Software Distribution (GSD) platform and the newly published EGDF‑VGE Video Games Industry Insight Report.
The resulting survey sampled 39,371 respondents, offering a robust statistical foundation for the analysis. When the numbers are broken down by region, the traditional EU5 still accounts for the bulk of revenue, but it experienced a modest contraction of 4 percent compared with the previous year, slipping from €26.8 billion in 2024 to €25.7 billion in 2025.
Germany remained the top‑earning nation within this core group, generating €6.5 billion in sales, followed by the United Kingdom, France, Italy and Spain. Employment figures paint an equally vivid portrait of the industry’s scale.
Across the European Union and the United Kingdom, 123,000 individuals were employed by roughly 8,700 development studios in 2025. Women represented 24 percent of this workforce, a modest but meaningful share that highlights ongoing efforts toward greater gender diversity in game creation and publishing. The United Kingdom led the continent in terms of headcount, with 28,520 people working in gaming‑related roles. Poland came in second with 14,930 employees, while Germany accounted for 12,410 workers.
These three countries together host more than half of the region’s gaming talent pool. Platform preferences among European gamers continued to evolve. Mobile phones and tablets dominated usage statistics, with 82 percent of players reporting they primarily engaged with games on these devices.
Console play was still popular, registering a 47 percent usage rate, and PC gaming held a 34 percent share. In terms of revenue generation, mobile and tablet platforms contributed almost half of the total €30 billion, confirming the lucrative nature of the mobile market. When it comes to specific titles, the console arena was led by Electronic Arts.
EA’s sports franchise, EA Sports FC26, claimed the top spot, with its predecessor FC25 occupying the second position, and the long‑running Battlefield 6 series rounding out the top three. On the PC front, Battlefield 6 also emerged as the leading title, followed closely by Rockstar Games’ enduring classics Red Dead Redemption 2 and Grand Theft Auto V, which continue to attract sizable player bases years after their initial releases. Mobile gaming saw a different set of leaders.
The casual‑strategy title Coin Master topped the charts, with Royal Match and the ever‑popular Candy Crush Saga taking second and third place respectively. These results illustrate the sustained appeal of free‑to‑play, micro‑transaction‑driven experiences on handheld devices. Overall participation numbers remained impressive. In 2025, 199 million Europeans reported playing video games, and women made up 46 percent of that audience – roughly 91.5 million female gamers.
The United Kingdom again stood out as the largest single market, boasting 25 million active players. Average weekly playtime across the continent was measured at 8.39 hours per person, a slight decline from the 9.4 hours recorded in 2024.
Age‑specific data revealed that children aged 6‑11 spent an average of 11.35 hours per week gaming, while teenagers aged 12‑17 logged even higher engagement at 14.30 hours per week. Parental involvement in gaming habits also featured prominently in the survey. Seventy‑five percent of European parents expressed a desire to take an active role in setting limits on their children’s video‑game usage. Correspondingly, 79 percent reported using at least one family‑setting tool – such as time‑limits, content filters or purchase controls – to monitor or restrict gameplay.
Moreover, 74 percent said they have explicit agreements, monitoring practices, or family‑setting configurations in place to manage online interactions and protect their children from unsuitable content. In the EU5 markets specifically, 72 percent of parents indicated that their children did not make in‑game purchases. Among the minority who did, a substantial 93 percent of parents reported that they kept a close eye on those transactions, suggesting a high level of vigilance when real‑money spending is involved.
Spending behavior among younger gamers also shifted downward. The average amount of money spent by children who were permitted to buy in‑game items fell by 13 percent compared with 2024, reflecting either more cautious parental oversight, changes in pricing strategies, or a broader trend toward more conservative micro‑transaction habits. Taken together, these data points illustrate a vibrant, diversified, and increasingly digital European gaming ecosystem. While revenue growth in the traditional EU5 markets has modestly slowed, the expansion into additional countries, the dominance of mobile platforms, and the continued popularity of both new releases and legacy titles all point to a sector that is resilient and adaptable.
The industry’s sizable employment base, the growing representation of women, and the high level of parental engagement further underscore the sector’s importance not only as an economic driver but also as a cultural and social touchstone for millions across Europe.