2K Sports Opens Small Axe Studios in Vancouver, Led by Former EA FIFA Veteran
2K Sports has announced Small Axe Studios, a new AAA game development studio based in Vancouver, tasked with building the publisher's next blockbuster sports franchise (Eurogamer, 2026-08-14).
The studio is led by Aaron McHardy, a former EA executive producer who spent 17 years at the company working on sports titles — the majority of them on FIFA, the football series EA rebranded as EA SPORTS FC after parting ways with football's governing body. McHardy left EA in 2023 (Eurogamer, 2026-08-14).
Small Axe Studios did not emerge from nowhere. It evolved from 2K Sports Lab, an internal project 2K created a few years ago to explore where sports gaming could go next. That exploratory work has now crystallised into a full studio with a clear mandate: build a new AAA sports franchise — the kind of game with the budgets, team sizes and production values associated with the industry's biggest releases (Eurogamer, 2026-08-14).
McHardy said he is honoured to lead the team as it sets out to create 2K's next AAA sports game (Eurogamer, 2026-08-14). 2K framed the studio as combining the energy of a start-up with the scale and resources of an established publisher, pointing to its track record with sports franchises including NBA 2K, WWE 2K and PGA TOUR 2K (Eurogamer, 2026-08-14).
The team's pedigree extends beyond 2K's own catalogue. According to the studio's official page, Small Axe's developers have experience working on major sports franchises including FIFA (now EA SPORTS FC), Madden and College Football — all EA properties (2K official). That makes the studio a gathering of talent from directly across the field.
2K Sports already competes in basketball, wrestling and golf. What sport Small Axe will tackle next has not been announced. The studio's existence, the leadership hire and the assembled team are the story so far — a new player on the pitch, with a proven strategist at the helm and the backing of a publisher that knows how to ship sports games at scale.
No release window, platform details or sport have been confirmed. The studio is hiring.
