European Game Market Sees Shifting Trends in First Half of 2025
As the first half of 2025 draws to a close, new insights into the European video game market highlight a dynamic landscape for publishers and players alike. According to data compiled by analytical firm GSD, and shared with The Game Business, total game sales in Europe saw a slight decline, but new releases and shifting purchasing habits paint an interesting picture. While Assassin's Creed Shadows emerged as the best-selling new game, a familiar title from last year, EA Sports FC 25, continued its impressive run as the overall top seller.
Sales Figures and Digital Dominance
The statistics, collected up to July 28, show that a combined 71 million PC and console games were sold across major European markets during the first half of the year. This figure represents a 6% decrease compared to the same period in the previous year. The breakdown between physical and digital sales reveals a clear trend: physical copies accounted for 19.7 million units, a 9% drop, while digital sales reached 52 million copies, a 3% decrease. Notably, digital purchases now make up 74% of all video game sales in Europe, an increase of 2% from the first half of 2024.
Rising Prices Impact Player Spending
Sam Naji, lead analyst at GSD, provided further details on European spending habits for PC and console games. Despite a 9% drop in the number of copies sold over the first 19 weeks of the year, overall spending only saw a modest 2% reduction, totaling €1.33 billion. This disparity is primarily due to an 8% increase in the average price of video games, which climbed to €29 this year.
The digital market specifically reflects this trend even more strongly: spending on digital games rose by 8%, even as the number of digital purchases fell by 6%. This surge in revenue is attributed to a significant 15% increase in the average digital game price, jumping from €22 to €25 within the 19-week period. In contrast, physical game spending decreased by 16%, with unit sales dropping by 17%. The average price of physical editions saw only a marginal 2% increase, moving from €39 to €40.
Top-Selling Titles: Old Favorites and New Hits
Among the most successful titles of the first half of 2025, Assassin's Creed Shadows claimed the top spot as the best-selling new release. However, the reigning champion across all sales was EA Sports FC 25, demonstrating the enduring popularity of sports simulations. Beyond these two frontrunners, the top 20 list featured seven other new games, including Kingdom Come: Deliverance II and Monster Hunter Wilds.
A standout new intellectual property for the period was Split Fiction from EA and Hazelight, securing the sixth position on the sales chart. Interestingly, Hazelight's previous cooperative hit, It Takes Two, also made an appearance on the list, highlighting the studio's consistent appeal.
The full list of the top 20 best-selling titles in Europe for the first half of 2025 is as follows:
- EA Sports FC 25
- Assassin’s Creed Shadows
- Grand Theft Auto V
- Red Dead Redemption 2
- Hogwarts Legacy
- Split Fiction
- Monster Hunter Wilds
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
- Mario Kart World
- Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
- The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered
- Star Wars Battlefront II
- Elden Ring: Nightreign
- It Takes Two
- Grand Theft Auto Online
- NBA 2K25
- F1 25
- Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege
- Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
- Battlefield 1
It's worth noting that Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, a turn-based RPG with over 3.3 million copies sold globally, did not make it onto GSD's European chart. This exclusion is due to publisher Kepler Interactive not sharing its sales data with the firm.
What This Means for Gamers
The first half of 2025 clearly indicates a market that is increasingly embracing digital game purchases, even as overall unit sales see a slight downturn. The rising average price of games, especially digital ones, suggests that publishers are finding ways to maintain revenue despite fewer copies being sold. For players, this trend might mean higher initial costs for new titles, but also a continued shift towards convenient digital libraries. The dominance of evergreen titles like EA Sports FC 25, Grand Theft Auto V, and Red Dead Redemption 2, alongside strong new releases, shows a diverse market where both established franchises and fresh IPs can thrive if they resonate with players.
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