2K has launched a new AAA game development studio, Small Axe Studios, to create its next blockbuster sports franchise, likely a soccer game competing with EA Sports FC.
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<p class="wp-block-paragraph">2K is launching a new AAA game development studio, Small Axe Studios, with an ambitious goal: to build the company's "next blockbuster sports franchise," <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/posts/2k-games_a-few-years-ago-we-created-2k-sports-lab-activity-7493683084458917888-zRCz?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAAIV1iYBHi7OPybalzIKilWBO4bTY5vJb8c">according to a LinkedIn post</a>.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The post doesn't explicitly say what sport this new game will focus on. But an image included in the post features what appears to be a mockup soccer badge, indicating that Small Axe might be making a soccer game that goes head-to-head with <em>EA Sports FC</em>. The <a href="https://2k.com/studios/small-axe-studios/">Small Axe website</a> also lists senior staffers with experience working on EA's <em>FIFA</em> series (<a href="https://www.theverge.com/2022/5/10/23065405/ea-sports-fc-fifa-branding">the former name of <em>EA Sports FC</em></a>), including studio head Aaron McHardy, who once led that franchise.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Small Axe was …</p>
<p><a href="https://www.theverge.com/games/979689/2k-sports-franchise-small-axe-studios-soccer">Read the full story at The Verge.</a></p>
# 2K launches new studio to build its ‘next blockbuster sports franchise’
Source: [https://www.theverge.com/games/979689/2k-sports-franchise-small-axe-studios-soccer](https://www.theverge.com/games/979689/2k-sports-franchise-small-axe-studios-soccer)
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Jay Peters
is a senior reporter covering technology, gaming, and more\. He joined The Verge in 2019 after nearly two years at Techmeme\.
2K is launching a new AAA game development studio, Small Axe Studios, with an ambitious goal: to build the company’s “next blockbuster sports franchise,”[according to a LinkedIn post](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/2k-games_a-few-years-ago-we-created-2k-sports-lab-activity-7493683084458917888-zRCz?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAAIV1iYBHi7OPybalzIKilWBO4bTY5vJb8c)\.
The post doesn’t explicitly say what sport this new game will focus on\. But an image included in the post features what appears to be a mockup soccer badge, indicating that Small Axe might be making a soccer game that goes head\-to\-head with*EA Sports FC*\. The[Small Axe website](https://2k.com/studios/small-axe-studios/)also lists senior staffers with experience working on EA’s*FIFA*series \([the former name of*EA Sports FC*](https://www.theverge.com/2022/5/10/23065405/ea-sports-fc-fifa-branding)\), including studio head Aaron McHardy, who once led that franchise\.
Small Axe was born from 2K Sports Lab, a project 2K announced in 2023\. Whatever this new game is, it will add to 2K’s existing roster of games covering sports such as basketball \(*NBA 2K*\), wrestling \(*WWE 2K*\), and golf \(*PGA Tour 2K*\)\.
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- Jay Peters
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