Take-Two May Be Entering a Brand-New AAA Field After GTA 6, Report Says

Take-Two’s subsidiary, 2K Games, has established a new AAA studio that could be working on a soccer game to rival EA Sports FC. 2K Games is already a household name in sports video games, with renowned licensed IPs like NBA, WWE, and NHL under its belt. But it has yet to enter the soccer simulation business, a gap in its sports portfolio that could soon be a thing of the past.

For years, the two major franchises in soccer video games have been EA’s Sports FC, formerly known as FIFA, and Konami’s Pro Soccer Evolution, now rebranded as eFootball. Meanwhile, both IPs have faced heavy criticism in recent years for their lack of innovation and persistent performance issues. EA Sports FC 26, for example, has mixed user reviews, and eFootball has received a similar reception despite going free-to-play. Now, Take-Two’s 2K Games might be preparing to overtake the competition while the top players are struggling.

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2K Games’ New Studio Is Made Up of Veteran FIFA Developers

As reported by Christopher Dring of The Game Business, 2K Games has established Small Axe Studios, a AAA developer led by former FIFA executives and developers. Small Axe’s VP and executive producer is Aaron McHardy, who held a similar role at Electronic Arts Vancouver for the company’s flagship soccer simulation franchise. McHardy isn’t the only executive with a FIFA-heavy background. In fact, most major roles at the newly established studio, including head of design Gary Paterson and technical art director John Cruz, have worked on FIFA games in the past.

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Small Axe says, “We are here to redefine the future of sports video games.” It’s unclear how the studio plans to achieve that goal. However, given how many of its backbone members come from EA’s FIFA series, it seems possible that the team is working on a new soccer simulation.

2k Games Is Working on ‘the Next Massive Sports Franchise’

A job listing for the newly established Small Axe Studios describes its unannounced project as “the next massive sports franchise in [the gaming] industry.” This suggests the new IP could focus on a globally popular sport, narrowing down the possibilities. According to Sport for Business, the three most-watched sports worldwide are soccer, cricket, and field hockey. That said, 2K already has the NHL 2K series, and cricket hasn’t achieved the same success in gaming as it has in real life. Meanwhile, soccer games remain hugely popular and could attract both existing players and fans of the sport.

Of course, Small Axe could well be working on other popular sports titles, such as baseball or boxing, which have proven popular among gamers. However, if it is indeed gearing up to compete with EA and Konami, it would be great news for soccer fans, as it could finally bring the long-anticipated competition to the genre. Backed by a parent company like Take-Two, which has games like Grand Theft Auto 6 in its portfolio, Small Axe could revolutionize the genre and offer the polished AAA experience that EA Sports FC and eFootball have largely failed to deliver in recent years.