In 2025 the European video‑game industry amassed a total turnover of €30 billion, with digital sales representing a striking 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’s diverse gaming landscape. One of the most notable developments this year was the broadening of VGE’s flagship research effort, the All About Games report. Previously limited to the five largest markets—commonly referred to as the EU5 (the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain and Italy)—the study now incorporates data from an additional eleven countries: Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Sweden and Switzerland.
By extending the geographical scope to sixteen nations, VGE aims to provide a more comprehensive picture of gaming trends, consumer behaviour and economic impact throughout Europe. To compile the expanded dataset, VGE engaged the market‑research firm Ipsos, which drew on a combination of sources including GameTrack, the German Software Developers Association (GSD) and the newly published EGDF‑VGE Video Games Industry Insight Report.
The resulting survey captured responses from 39,371 individuals, offering a robust sample that reflects the varied preferences of European gamers. When the numbers for the original EU5 are examined in isolation, a modest contraction becomes apparent. Revenue across these five core markets fell by 4 percent year‑on‑year, slipping from €26.8 billion in 2024 to €25.7 billion in 2025. Germany remained the powerhouse of the region, generating €6.5 billion, the highest national total among the group.
Employment figures also paint an encouraging portrait of the sector’s vitality. In 2025, the combined territory of the EU and the UK supported 123,000 jobs spread across roughly 8,700 development studios.
Women accounted for 24 percent of the workforce, indicating gradual progress toward gender balance in an industry traditionally dominated by men. The United Kingdom stood out as the biggest employer with 28,520 staff members, followed by Poland (14,930) and Germany (12,410). Platform usage data reveals that mobile devices and tablets dominate the European gaming scene, with 82 percent of players reporting they primarily use these handheld formats. Console gaming holds a solid secondary position at 47 percent, while PC usage sits at 34 percent.
Not only do mobile and tablet devices lead in terms of player numbers, they also generate almost half of the total industry revenue, highlighting the lucrative nature of the mobile market. When it comes to titles, the console segment was led by Electronic Arts in 2025. EA’s flagship sports series, EA Sports FC26, claimed the top spot, with its predecessor FC25 taking second place, and the long‑running Battlefield 6 rounding out the trio of best‑selling console games.
On the PC front, Battlefield 6 also emerged as the most popular title, closely followed by Rockstar Games’ enduring classics Red Dead Redemption 2 and Grand Theft Auto 5, both of which continue to attract substantial player bases years after their initial releases. The mobile arena told a slightly different story. Coin Master topped the charts, leveraging its casual, spin‑the‑wheel mechanics to capture a broad audience.
It was succeeded by Royal Match and the ever‑popular Candy Crush Saga, both of which benefit from strong brand recognition and frequent content updates that keep players engaged. Overall, 199 million Europeans reported playing video games in 2025, with women representing 46 percent of that audience—approximately 91.5 million female gamers.
The United Kingdom emerged as the single largest national market, boasting 25 million active players. In terms of engagement, the average European gamer logged 8.39 hours of play per week, a slight decline from the 9.4 hours recorded in 2024. Younger demographics, however, remain highly active: children aged 6‑11 averaged 11.35 hours per week, while teenagers aged 12‑17 logged an even higher average of 14.30 hours.
Parental involvement continues to be a significant factor in the European gaming ecosystem. Seventy‑five percent of parents expressed a preference for taking an active role in setting limits on their children’s gaming activities. Moreover, 79 percent reported using one or more family‑setting tools—such as time limits, content filters or purchase controls—to monitor or restrict gameplay.
A further 74 percent indicated that they have established agreements, actively supervise, or employ family‑setting features to manage online interactions and ensure a safe digital environment. Within the EU5 markets specifically, 72 percent of parents said their children did not make in‑game purchases. Of the minority who did, a substantial 93 percent confirmed that they closely monitored those transactions.
Notably, the average amount spent by children who are permitted to buy in‑game content fell by 13 percent compared with 2024, suggesting a combination of tighter parental oversight and perhaps a shift in spending habits among younger players. Taken together, these data points illustrate a thriving yet evolving European gaming sector.
While total revenue continues to climb, driven largely by digital sales and mobile platforms, the industry also faces nuanced challenges related to consumer spending, gender representation and parental regulation. The expanded All About Games report, covering sixteen countries, offers stakeholders—developers, publishers, policymakers and investors—a richer, more granular understanding of the forces shaping Europe’s gaming future.