EA's dominance in football games may face a new challenge, as 2K Sports announces the formation of Small Axe, a new studio led by a former FIFA executive producer, tasked with creating the company's "next major sports franchise."
Aaron McHardy heads the new studio, Small Axe, which will be located in Vancouver—the home of EA Sports FC. McHardy spent 17 years developing sports games at EA, much of that time working on the FIFA series. Before leaving EA in 2023, McHardy served as Executive Producer.
Aaron McHardy announced on LinkedIn: "I am honored to officially launch Small Axe Studios alongside 2K. I am privileged to lead this team as we embark on creating 2K's next AAA sports title. The studio's mission is to tackle the industry's toughest challenges, a sentiment reflected in our name: with vision, ambition, and focus, even a small axe can fell a mighty tree."
In a statement posted on LinkedIn, 2K wrote: "A few years ago, we created 2K Sports Lab, an ambitious project aimed at exploring the future direction of sports gaming. Today, we are proud to unveil the result of that initiative: Small Axe Studios, our latest AAA game development studio based in Vancouver.
Under the leadership of Aaron McHardy, Small Axe Studios is dedicated to developing 2K's next major sports franchise. Combining the passion of a startup with the scale of 2K, the studio aims to redefine the future of sports video games. Leveraging our extensive experience from AAA franchises like NBA 2K, WWE 2K, and PGA TOUR 2K, Small Axe Studios has a solid foundation and long-term commitment to achieve this goal."
Meanwhile, on the Small Axe Studios website, job postings mention "crafting player-centric excellence from the ground up."
EA's FIFA series (now rebranded as EA Sports FC) used to face annual competition from Konami's Pro Evolution Soccer series—a rivalry that became increasingly one-sided in favor of EA during the 2000s and 2010s. Konami hasn't completely exited the football market; they launched eFootball, the successor to PES, in 2021. Despite a rough start, Konami has continued development and made significant improvements in recent years, reportedly attracting a substantial player base. However, EA hasn't faced a truly strong competitor in the annual blockbuster football genre for many years.