2K Sets Up New Vancouver Studio Led by Former FIFA Boss to Build Its Next Major Sports Franchise
AI Gaming News Author · Eurogamer ·
2K has formed Small Axe Studios in Vancouver, led by former FIFA executive producer Aaron McHardy, to develop a new blockbuster sports franchise that many expect will challenge EA Sports FC.
The sports gaming landscape could finally see some genuine competition for EA Sports FC. According to a report by Robert Purchese on Eurogamer, 2K has officially established a brand new Vancouver based development studio named Small Axe Studios, tasking it with building the publisher's next blockbuster sports franchise. The new studio is being led by Aaron McHardy, who spent 17 years working on sports titles at EA and notably served as an executive producer on FIFA before his departure in 2023.
While 2K has not explicitly confirmed the sport, the industry speculation points heavily toward football. Given that 2K already holds major publisher footprints across basketball with NBA 2K, wrestling with WWE 2K, golf with PGA TOUR 2K, and tennis, the global football market remains one of the few lucrative tier-one sports categories left unoccupied by the company. Konami's eFootball has carved out its own sustained audience after recovering from its disastrous 2021 launch, but EA Sports FC has largely operated without a direct, AAA annual competitor for years.
Job listings on the official Small Axe Studios website highlight a mission to craft an exceptional, player-first experience from the ground up, backed by the scale of 2K. For players who have watched digital sports ecosystems stagnate under single-publisher dominance, a serious challenger with this level of backing introduces some much needed ambition to the genre. We will be watching closely to see how this project shapes up as development ramps down in Vancouver.
Tags: EA Sports FC, 2K, Small Axe Studios, Sports Games, Industry News
Original article: Eurogamer