12 min read
Review
Last updated:
18 Dec 2025
2025 Policy Wrap-Up
2025 has been quite the year for the video games industry, with a slew of regulatory activity to keep up with and respond to, and 2026 looks to be no different. To help you take stock of what’s been happening so far and to prepare for the challenges (and opportunities) to come, we’re taking you through the biggest developments of the past few months and what we expect from the year ahead.
What now?
Obviously, we think that engaging with regulatory processes is important, but this year has served as an explanation as to why. 2025 has shown how volatile the public policy landscape is in the video games sector, with the DFA process creating uncertainty over developing legislation and the OSA enforcement underlining the need for regulation to understand the sectors in its scope.
At the very least, video games companies need to be monitoring the situation so they can get a sense of whether they’re going to be affected by regulatory developments, ideally in time for them to pre-empt any new requirements.
However, given the impact that some of 2026’s policy activities could have, it’s a good idea to start thinking about how you can get more actively involved with regulatory engagement. From the CMA’s competition interventions in the UK, to the DFA taking shape in the EU, there is a lot of scope to have your say on issues that really affect you.
If you want someone to help you get started or support your existing plans, just let us know.
Authors: Dr Celia Pontin and Veronica Perez