The European Game Developers Federation (EGDF) has released its highly anticipated 2021 Video Games Industry Insight Report. Developed in collaboration with Video Game Europe (VGE), this comprehensive report offers valuable insights and analysis on the current state and trends of the European video games industry.
The report consolidates data from 25 national game industry trade associations, presenting a standardized format for analysis. Key highlights of the report include an in-depth analysis of the European video games industry, encompassing its size in terms of studios and professionals, turnover, growth, and employment statistics. It also examines the distribution of game development studios across Europe, identifying major game development countries and their economic impact. Furthermore, the report explores the popularity of different game platforms among European game developers and provides a list of educational institutions offering game development programs in European countries. Additionally, it highlights the diverse range of public support instruments available for game development throughout the continent.
The report acknowledges the exceptional work done by development studios across Europe, especially during the challenging period of the COVID-19 pandemic. It recognizes their resilience and commitment in delivering games and services. Despite the ongoing impact of the pandemic, the European video games industry in 2021 demonstrated remarkable growth. The industry boasted 5,500 game developer studios and publishers, employing over 85,000 professionals and generating a combined turnover of €18.3 billion. The report also notes positive progress in improving gender diversity, with southern European countries leading the way with 23.7% representation of women in the industry. The overall number of game development studios in Europe has experienced growth, particularly in Germany and Belgium, attributed in part to government support for the industry. Romania also witnessed a second wave of startups, while enhanced methodologies for identifying small studios contributed to the overall growth.
The 2021 Video Games Industry Insight Report is now available for download here.