In 2025 the European video‑game industry posted a total turnover of €30 billion, with digital sales representing a dominant 91 percent of that figure, according to the latest figures released by Video Games Europe (VGE). This milestone underscores the continued shift toward online and downloadable content across the continent, as physical copies become an increasingly marginal slice of the market.
One of the most notable developments this year was the broadening of VGE’s flagship publication, the All About Games report. Previously confined to the five largest European gaming economies – the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain and Italy – the study now encompasses sixteen countries. The newly added territories are Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Sweden and Switzerland. By widening the geographical scope, VGE aims to provide a more comprehensive picture of consumer behaviour, revenue streams and employment trends throughout the wider European region.
To compile the data, VGE commissioned the market‑research firm Ipsos, which drew on three major sources: GameTrack, the German Software Distribution (GSD) database, and the freshly released EGDF‑VGE Video Games Industry Insight Report. The combined survey reached a total of 39,371 respondents, offering a robust statistical foundation for the analysis.
When the numbers for the original “EU5” markets are examined in isolation, revenue actually slipped by 4 percent compared with the previous year, falling from €26.8 billion in 2024 to €25.7 billion in 2025. Despite the overall dip, Germany continued to lead the pack, generating €6.5 billion in sales and retaining its position as the single biggest contributor among the five core economies.
Employment figures paint an encouraging picture of growth in the sector’s labour market. In 2025, a total of 123,000 individuals were employed across roughly 8,700 development studios operating in the EU and the United Kingdom. Women made up 24 percent of the workforce, highlighting a gradual but still limited move toward gender balance in an industry traditionally dominated by men. The United Kingdom accounted for the largest share of jobs, employing 28,520 people, followed by Poland with 14,930 positions and Germany with 12,410.
Platform preferences among European gamers continued to evolve. Mobile phones and tablets dominated usage, with 82 percent of players reporting that they primarily game on these devices. Consoles were the second‑most popular platform at 47 percent, while PCs accounted for 34 percent of usage.
In terms of revenue generation, mobile and tablet gaming contributed almost half of the total €30 billion, reinforcing the importance of the handheld market for publishers and developers. The console segment saw Electronic Arts retain the top spot in 2025. EA’s sports titles, EA Sports FC 26 and FC 25, occupied the two leading positions on console sales charts, with the military‑shooter Battlefield 6 taking the third place. Battlefield 6 also emerged as the best‑selling game on PC, followed closely by Rockstar’s long‑standing flagship titles Red Dead Redemption 2 and Grand Theft Auto 5, which continue to attract strong sales years after their initial release.
Mobile gaming leaders were equally clear. The casual‑strategy game Coin Master claimed the number‑one position, while Royal Match and the ever‑popular Candy Crush Saga followed in second and third place respectively. These titles illustrate the sustained appetite for free‑to‑play experiences that rely on in‑app purchases and regular content updates. Overall player penetration in Europe reached 199 million individuals in 2025, with women representing 46 percent of that audience (approximately 91.5 million female gamers).
The United Kingdom stood out as the single largest national market, boasting roughly 25 million active players. When it comes to time spent gaming, the average European player logged 8.39 hours per week, a slight decline from the 9.4 hours recorded in 2024.
Younger demographics devoted considerably more time to their devices: children aged 6‑11 averaged 11.35 hours per week, while teenagers aged 12‑17 logged an average of 14.30 hours. Parental involvement remains a significant factor in shaping younger gamers’ experiences.
Seventy‑five percent of European parents expressed a desire to be actively involved in setting limits on video‑game usage for their children. Correspondingly, 79 percent reported using at least one family‑setting tool—such as screen‑time controls or purchase restrictions—to monitor or curb gameplay. Moreover, 74 percent indicated that they have established agreements, conduct regular monitoring, or employ family‑setting features to manage online interactions and safeguard their children’s digital environments.
Within the EU5 region, 72 percent of parents said their children did not make any in‑game purchases. Among the minority who did buy virtual items, a striking 93 percent of parents reported that they kept a close watch on those transactions. Notably, the average amount spent by children who were permitted to purchase in‑game content fell by 13 percent compared with the previous year, suggesting either tighter parental oversight or a shift in spending habits among younger players.
In summary, the 2025 data from Video Games Europe paints a picture of a robust, digitally‑focused gaming ecosystem across the continent. While revenue growth slowed in the traditional EU5 markets, the overall €30 billion figure demonstrates the sector’s resilience and its capacity to generate substantial economic value. The expansion of the All About Games report to include sixteen countries provides richer insight into regional variations, and the employment numbers highlight the sector’s role as a significant job creator. As mobile devices continue to dominate both usage and revenue, and as developers like EA and Rockstar maintain strong footholds on console and PC platforms, the European gaming landscape appears set to keep evolving, driven by both consumer preferences and ongoing regulatory attention to issues such as parental control and in‑game spending.