2K Games,belong Two points of interactionis expanding its influence in the sports game market. The company newly established AAA studio small ax studiothe composition of the team and the first information about its project hint at very ambitious plans. Developers may be creating a football simulator that will compete with EA Sports FC and eFootball in the future.
2K has long been considered one of the biggest players in the sports genre. The publisher’s portfolio includes a basketball game NBA 2K and series WWE 2KThe company still doesn’t have a major football simulator of its own, though. If the new studio does get into football, Take-Two will finally be able to enter a market it has had almost complete control over for years. EA and Konami.
The staff at Small Ax Studios looks particularly interesting. The team is led and executive produced by former Vice President Aaron McHardy Electronic Arts Vancouverdirectly participate in the creation of FIFA. However, this is far from the only expert with such experience. Key staff at the new studio also include former FIFA design director Gary Patterson and technical art director John Cruz.
Small Ax itself has yet to reveal what kind of game is in development. The studio’s description says it intends to “reimagine the future of sports video games,” and job postings describe the untitled project as the industry’s “next big sports franchise.”
There’s no immediate confirmation of the direction the football will take, but the combination of factors looks very interesting. If a team really wants to create a new football game, having years of experience working with FIFA could be a major advantage.
Potentially, 2K has a great opportunity to enter the market at the right time. EA Sports FC and eFootball In recent years, they’ve often been criticized by players for a lack of noticeable changes, technical issues, and controversial decisions by developers. The emergence of new major competitors can force all market players to develop their projects more actively.
However, other options cannot be ruled out. Little Ax might be playing a game of baseball, boxing, or a different sport entirely. The company has yet to announce the type, platform or release date of its first project.
However, 2K’s football simulator seems particularly logical. Take-Two has significant financial resources and experience creating major sports franchises, and the new team has assembled experts familiar with FIFA’s development. If these assumptions are confirmed, EA Sports FC and eFootball may have truly serious AAA competitors for the first time in a long time.
For now, all that’s left to do is wait for an official announcement from Small Ax Studios. But 2K’s bet on new sports franchises already looks promising — especially if the company decides to challenge the soccer genre’s leaders.