Virkkunen at Gamescom: “Europe is at the forefront of the gaming sector”

Brussels – The European Commission views video games as a “strategic sector for the Union’s competitiveness and digital innovation.” Underscoring their importance today (26 August) is Executive Vice‑President for Technological Sovereignty, Security and Democracy Henna Virkkunen, who is in Cologne to attend the opening of Gamescom, the world’s largest event dedicated to the video‑game industry. During her visit, she will meet with industry representatives and present the tools through which Brussels supports the sector, including the Creative Europe and InvestEU programmes, and the new AgoraEU proposal.

“Europe is at the forefront of the gaming sector,” Virkkunen said, highlighting the industry’s innovative potential and its contribution to the development of new technological applications. The Vice-President will also discuss digital infrastructure and European measures to protect consumers and children.

 The visit comes as the European sector seeks to consolidate its position following years marked by redundancies and restructuring. According to the 2024 European Video Game Industry Insights Report by the European Games Developer Federation (EGDF) and Video Games Europe, in 2024, the EU industry comprised around 6,600 studios, over 95,000 employees, and a turnover of 24 billion euros. However, growth in the number of studios and turnover has gone hand in hand with substantial stagnation in employment, with some markets experiencing slight declines.

The sector has also had to contend with issues relating to consumer protection. The Stop Killing Games movement, set up to prevent publishers from deactivating legitimately purchased video games after servers are shut down, has brought the issue to the European level. The European Citizens’ Initiative, backed by over 1.29 million signatures, received a response from the European Commission on 16 June. Brussels acknowledged citizens’ concerns but did not propose any new regulations to prevent publishers from deactivating games, stating that the issue would be addressed through the existing European framework for consumer protection.