Overview
- 2K announced Small Axe Studios on Aug. 13, 2026, describing it as a new AAA team formed from its 2K Sports Lab to create the publisher’s “next blockbuster sports franchise.”
- Aaron McHardy, an EA veteran who worked on FIFA and other sports franchises, is named vice president, executive producer and studio head of Small Axe.
- The studio’s senior hires include multiple former EA Sports/FIFA developers and the company is actively posting high-level job openings, with some roles listing salaries above $200,000.
- 2K and reporters note imagery and the staff’s FIFA background that suggest the project could target soccer, but the company has not confirmed a specific sport and that remains speculative.
- The Vancouver launch comes during a period of internal shifts at 2K, with recent layoffs at other 2K-owned studios and this hire-driven opening signaling a reallocation of development resources.