Annual Report of the German Games Industry 2026 (game - Verband der deutschen Games-Branche)

Summary

• The German games market grew by 4 percent in 2025 to 9.4 billion euros, remaining the largest in Europe and fifth largest worldwide.p.8
• Revenue from online gaming services passed the 1 billion euro mark for the first time, reaching 1,031 million euros.p.8
• Games hardware revenue rose by 12 percent to 3.4 billion euros, with game console revenue up 26 percent.p.11
• The number of German games companies rose from 917 to 956 (+4 percent), while employees at developers and publishers fell 3 percent to 12,235.p.15
• Federal games funding was increased to 88 million euros for 2025 and to 125 million euros annually from 2026.p.16
• One euro of federal games funding triggered around 6.50 euros of gross value added and 2.50 euros in taxes and social contributions in 2023.p.18
• Germany has 41.2 million gamers, and 6 of 10 people aged 6 to 69 play games.p.5

Key insights

1. Revenue from game purchases fell 13 percent to 807 million euros, while in-game and in-app purchases generated 4.1 billion euros (+1 percent).p.8
2. Mobile games revenue rose about 3 percent to around 2.7 billion euros, with about 97 percent coming from in-app purchases.p.10
3. Gaming PC revenue rose 7 percent to 651 million euros and console accessories fell 10 percent to 360 million euros.p.11
4. The download share of game purchases reached 69 percent in 2025, one percentage point more than the 68 percent a year earlier.p.13
5. 29 percent of games companies expect positive development of the industry in 2026, versus 17 percent a year earlier.p.14
6. The share of women in the German games industry rose from 25 to 30 percent.p.18
7. Of every 100 euros spent on games in Germany, only 5.50 euros remain with German games companies.p.18
8. 87 percent of games companies expect additional development impulses from a tax-based games incentive.p.18
9. The Press Start founding scholarship led to 75 new development studios in Germany.p.4