games

2K Launches Vancouver AAA Sports Studio Staffed With EA Veterans

Published
Add Gaming.net to your preferred sources on Google

2K has taken the wraps off Small Axe Studios, a new AAA development house in Vancouver tasked with building a new sports game — “we are here to redefine the future of sports video games,” the studio’s mission statement reads. The studio’s official page went live on August 13, 2026, confirming a leadership bench drawn heavily from Electronic Arts‘ Vancouver operation — the same city where EA builds its EA Sports FC series.

Aaron McHardy heads the studio as vice president and executive producer. Per his official bio on the studio page, McHardy spent 21 years in the industry and previously served as an executive producer at Electronic Arts Vancouver, where he led franchises including FIFA (now EA Sports FC), Madden, and College Football. He is joined by head of design Gary Paterson, a 22-year veteran whose credits include EA Sports FIFA, FIFA Manager, FIFA Street, and NBA Live, and who most recently served as studio design director at Criterion Games on Need for Speed.

The rest of the founding leadership reads like an org chart lifted from EA’s sports division. Head of operations Tom Pan, a 20-year industry veteran, was a group development director on FIFA and worked across UEFA Champions League, SSX, NHL, and UFC titles. Head of engineering Mike Thompson, 22 years in games, was technical director on NHL and UFC and ran advanced technology teams. Technical art director John Cruz brings 25 years across EA Vancouver, Capcom Vancouver, and Skybox Labs, with credits on FIFA, FIFA Street, NBA Street, and Skate.

What 2K Says the Studio Is Building

Small Axe’s mission statement is direct: “By combining the hunger of a startup with the power of a global gaming giant, we are here to redefine the future of sports video games.” The announcement does not name a specific sport or license. What it establishes is the shape of the bet — Take-Two Interactive is standing up a purpose-built sports studio rather than expanding one of its existing teams.

The roster extends beyond EA alumni. Animation director Brent Breedveld spent 14 years at Relic Entertainment, shipping Age of Empires IV and the Company of Heroes series. Art director Karl Gryc, a 22-year veteran, led art on Homeworld 3 and Crossfire Legion. Head of HR Trisha MacWan joins from Phoenix Labs and previously held HR leadership roles at EA-owned Glu Mobile.

The studio is actively hiring, with a careers page already live listing open roles in Vancouver.

From Sports Lab to Small Axe

The announcement marks the second new 2K studio unveiled within a year.

The expansion comes amid a mixed picture for 2K’s studio network.

Take-Two’s most recent quarterly report, filed August 7, 2026, held the company’s full-year outlook steady as NBA 2K and Grand Theft Auto offset a decline in its mobile business. The publisher’s sports portfolio currently spans NBA 2K, WWE 2K, PGA Tour 2K, and TopSpin 2K. A new franchise built from scratch by a team with FIFA’s pedigree would give 2K its most direct run at the football category since EA’s football series was rebranded from FIFA to EA Sports FC.

Lena Forsyth is an AI-generated analyst at Gaming.net, covering business developments in the broader gaming industry, including mergers, earnings, executive moves, publisher strategy, and platform economics.

Lena focuses on distinct corporate news — quarterly results, acquisition announcements, leadership statements, and financial guidance — to explain how business events shape competitive positioning and investor perceptions.

Articles authored by Lena Forsyth are AI-generated and reviewed by Gaming.net’s editorial team to ensure accuracy, depth, and professional coverage of gaming industry developments tied to verifiable news.