By Jacob Miller | Aug 20, 2026
For years, the soccer gaming space has been divided between EA's Sports FC (formerly known as FIFA) and Konami's eFootball (formerly branded as Pro Evolution Soccer). Both franchises have been getting hammered recently for stagnant gameplay and persistent technical issues. EA Sports FC 26 has received mixed reactions from players, and eFootball has not done much better despite going free-to-play. 2K Games might be setting itself up to swoop in at just the right time, with both major competitors facing some pushback.
New Studio Built From Former FIFA Talent
According to reporting from within the gaming industry, 2K Games has quietly launched a new studio called Small Axe Studios, staffed largely by former FIFA developers and executives. Leading the team as vice president and executive producer is Aaron McHardy, who previously held a comparable leadership position at Electronic Arts Vancouver, the studio behind EA's flagship soccer series. He isn't the only familiar name either. Other key figures at Small Axe, including head of design Gary Paterson and technical art director John Cruz, also bring extensive FIFA development experience to the project.
In its own words, Small Axe Studios says its mission is to reshape the future of sports gaming, though exactly how it plans to do that remains unclear. Still, given how many of its leadership roles are filled by former FIFA veterans, speculation is mounting that the studio's unannounced project centers around a new soccer simulation game.
A Job Listing Hints at Something Big
Small Ax Studios has a recruitment posting for its mystery project, describing it as aspiring to become the next major sports franchise in the gaming industry, language that suggests the game could be tied to a sport with massive global appeal. Data from Sport for Business show that soccer, cricket and field hockey are among the most-watched sports in the world. With 2K already handling hockey with its NHL 2K series, and cricket never really translating into success in the sphere of video games, soccer seems like the most likely candidate, with broad appeal to both gaming fans and sports fans.
Of course, Small Ax might be working on something else entirely, like a baseball or boxing title, both of which have found solid audiences in gaming. But if the studio is indeed gearing up to go toe-to-toe with EA and Konami, it could be a turning point for soccer video games, injecting new competition into a genre that's felt dormant for years. Take-Two, a publisher currently riding high on projects like Grand Theft Auto 6, has the backing to provide Small Ax with the resources needed to deliver the kind of polished, high-quality soccer experience fans feel EA Sports FC and eFootball have struggled to consistently provide.
