Updated Mar 17, 2026 by Video Games Europe
The European video game industry is a significant economic driver, generating over €12 billion in annual turnover, employing approximately 90,000 people, and reaching €23 billion in consumer spending in 2021.
The sector faces a critical talent shortage, exemplified by a projected shortfall of 25,000 game developers in Sweden alone by 2031, necessitating improved digital-skills education and reduced immigration barriers for global talent.
Existing EU digital legislation regarding consumer protection, competition, data protection, and cybersecurity is sufficient for virtual environments, and the industry warns that premature legal mandates for interoperability would stifle innovation.
The industry advocates for expanding public-funding access through Horizon Europe, Digital Europe, and InvestEU, specifically requesting the inclusion of video games in the General Block Exemption Regulation to support SMEs.
Virtual worlds are established platforms for social capital, with historical roots dating back to the 1974 MazeWar prototype and modern iterations including Roblox, Fortnite, and Animal Crossing.
Network capacity remains stable, with current fixed-line traffic growth rates below 20% and mobile traffic growth below 10%, supporting the industry's call to preserve unlicensed spectrum for Wi-Fi.
The European video game industry is a significant economic driver, generating over €12 billion in annual turnover, employing approximately 90,000 people, and reaching €23 billion in consumer spending in 2021.
The sector faces a critical talent shortage, exemplified by a projected shortfall of 25,000 game developers in Sweden alone by 2031, necessitating improved digital-skills education and reduced immigration barriers for global talent.
Existing EU digital legislation regarding consumer protection, competition, data protection, and cybersecurity is sufficient for virtual environments, and the industry warns that premature legal mandates for interoperability would stifle innovation.
The industry advocates for expanding public-funding access through Horizon Europe, Digital Europe, and InvestEU, specifically requesting the inclusion of video games in the General Block Exemption Regulation to support SMEs.
Virtual worlds are established platforms for social capital, with historical roots dating back to the 1974 MazeWar prototype and modern iterations including Roblox, Fortnite, and Animal Crossing.
Network capacity remains stable, with current fixed-line traffic growth rates below 20% and mobile traffic growth below 10%, supporting the industry's call to preserve unlicensed spectrum for Wi-Fi.