The 2026 edition of Milestone's official MotoGP game is here. It brings new rider-based physics, a reworked career mode, and a handful of refinements across the board. But is it a worthy addition to the series? Emily took a closer look!
Presentation and Tracks
MotoGP 26 covers the full MotoGP World Championship, featuring every bike from Moto3, Moto2, and MotoGP, alongside all of the circuits on this season's calendar.
New for this year is Goiania in Brazil. It is a high-speed circuit with a fairly simple layout. It is fully raceable in this year's game and, aside from the sinkhole that disrupted the real-world race weekend earlier this year, I did not find it particularly groundbreaking.
All of the tracks in MotoGP 26 are presented very well. The game now runs on Unreal Engine 5, and for an annual release, it looks impressive. That said, there is not a dramatic graphical leap during on-track action compared to last year.
Milestone also continues to improve the sound design. Last year, the MotoGP bikes received an audio overhaul, and this year, Moto2 and Moto3 have been given newly recorded engine sounds. The difference is noticeable, particularly in Moto2, where the engine note is less screechy than before.
Moto3 helmet view
The Moto3 bikes also sound great and serve as an excellent entry point for learning the game. In fact, I think they should be encouraged more for new players before they move up to the far more difficult MotoGP bikes.
Another nice touch is the menu presentation. This year, the menus are set in the MotoGP paddock, creating a strong atmosphere and instantly reminding me of playing F1 2010 and 2011.
Career Mode
Career mode remains the core of the single-player experience and is set within the hospitality area of the paddock.
It features a whole host of new animations, alongside fresh systems, options, and tweaks, though at its core it remains similar to last year's game. You attend a Thursday press conference where you set goals for the coming races, whether that is becoming your team's number one rider, earning a development boost, or building a relationship with a new team.
Choosing how to develop your bike is essential to being competitive
From there, you are assigned a rival whom you need to beat on track. If you succeed, you receive the reward. If you do not, you are given a new objective. The cycle continues until you become world champion. Bike development also resumes, with post-race debriefings helping guide future upgrades. This year, any bike can eventually become the best on the grid. Spend enough time developing the Yamaha, for example, and you can turn it into the fastest machine in the field.
Rider skill rankings, similar to those in the F1 games, are also back and will be updated throughout the season. One of the bigger additions is the ability to play as any existing MotoGP rider, alongside creating your own custom character. I tried this with new rider Toprak Razgatlioglu, and things got weird very quickly.
In the preview build, rider market changes cannot be disabled from the first season, so the grid can become chaotic almost immediately. Before my first race, Marco Bezzecchi had already moved to Honda, while Johann Zarco was riding for Gresini.
Choosing a starting point is a rite of passage in most racing games.
You are also limited to starting with only the five slower MotoGP teams. Normally, I like this structure, but it creates odd scenarios. If you want to play as Marc Marquez, for example, you cannot begin at factory Ducati and instead need to start somewhere like Trackhouse.
Likewise, if you want to start from the bottom of the ladder, you cannot begin years earlier in a younger version of that rider's career. Instead, you are starting in 2026 as a 33-year-old Marc Marquez racing in Moto3, which is admittedly hilarious but does not exactly fit. If you want to recreate a real season as one of the professional riders, Championship mode is probably the better option.
Physics and Handling
The riding physics have received a major overhaul this year with the introduction of rider-based handling. Essentially, you are now controlling the rider rather than the bike itself. In practice, it does not feel dramatically different from previous games, but the most noticeable change is that turning feels more responsive. The bike changes direction more eagerly and reacts faster to rider input.
The replay cameras are very much the same from MotoGP 25
Milestone has also recorded new rider animations to match. The changes are subtle, but you can spot details such as the slight movement on the seat as riders shift their weight when exiting corners.
Curbs have been toned down slightly, though they can still launch you into the air more often than they probably should. Starts are also significantly improved. Launches now feel more in line with the AI, making the run to Turn 1 far more exciting.
The helmet shot is still as immersive as ever.
Another small but effective touch is the camera behaviour at high speed. Once you go beyond around 250 km/h, the field of view widens slightly, making the sense of speed feel immense before tightening back up under braking.
Dynamic AI
Dynamic AI returns, automatically adjusting the difficulty as you race. It is safe to say I have mixed feelings about it. On one hand, I like not having to manually choose a difficulty number. On the other hand, it feels like the system reacts far too quickly, to the point where I can feel it changing lap by lap.
Moto2 race in Australia.
If I get a great launch and pass six bikes at the start, the game seems to decide I am too quick and immediately increases the AI pace. Then I lose six positions on the next lap, only for the AI to slow down again. The result can feel inconsistent and, at times, gameable.
I found myself deliberately sacrificing qualifying laps so the AI would remain slow until the final run, where I could then push for pole by a second.
Difficulty and Accessibility
Arcade mode returns this year, and it remains an excellent feature. The handling still feels recognisably MotoGP, but it becomes far more forgiving, making it much harder to fall off the bike.
It allows players to approach the game more like a traditional racing title, such as Forza Motorsport or Gran Turismo 7, where aggressive throttle, braking, and steering inputs are easier to manage. If you simply want to jump in and have fun, this mode absolutely delivers.
The rather bizarre falling animations for the riders in MotoGP 26
For those who want a more serious challenge, pro physics is still included. This is where the game becomes incredibly demanding, especially under braking. In my opinion, MotoGP 26 is the most difficult controller-based racing game available. In a car racing game, a mistake under braking usually means running wide. Here, braking too late often means carrying too much brake pressure into the corner, triggering a lowside and sending you crashing to the ground.
That makes every small error feel far more punishing, and at times, I honestly did not find that enjoyable. If I make a mistake in a racing game, I want to be punished, but I also want the chance to recover before it becomes catastrophic. MotoGP 26 often does not give you that opportunity. At 350 km/h, with braking zones starting before the 200-metre board, timing becomes everything.
By the time I need to brake, I sometimes cannot even see the corner properly. Miss the braking point by a tenth of a second, and you can completely overshoot the turn or crash while trail braking.
Racing in the wet is hard enough in a car, never mind a bike...
Sometimes the game produces fantastic battles for the win. More often, though, it feels less like racing another rider and more like a game of chicken with the brake trigger. Yes, this may sound like a skill issue, but it has genuinely been my experience with the game, and I think that is worth highlighting.
Ride Off and Side Content
The Ride Off feature returns with flat track, motard, and minibikes, alongside a new venue, Canterbury Park. Motard remains the most enjoyable of the bunch. Minibikes are fine, if a little forgettable, while flat track still does not do much for me.
The tame flat track bikes in action
I was kinder to it in last year's review, but I have since changed my mind. It feels like a weaker version of the off-road riding found in Ride 6. Production bike races are also new this year, limiting you to manufacturer-specific competition. Unfortunately, this mode also feels underdeveloped, almost like an afterthought, similar to the GT car additions in the F1 games a few years ago.
I also noticed a few bugs during my time with the preview build. These may well be fixed in the day-one patch, but right now, it is possible to accidentally trigger AI crashes with a well-timed reset, and the pit-lane autopilot bar does not reliably match when control is actually returned.
Trading Cards and Multiplayer
On a more positive note, a new collectable trading card feature has been added. You receive packs after completing races and championships, and it is a charming little addition. Some of the cards have been illustrated by the well-known artist Ranka Fujiwara, which shows that genuine care has gone into the feature.
The new trading cards in MotoGP 26
Personally, it will not keep me playing for long, but it is still a welcome extra. Multiplayer also returns with ranked racing and a similar selection of game modes to last year.
Verdict
The MotoGP series remains a very strong annual franchise, and Milestone's continued refinement is clear. These games look excellent, sound great, and include all the real-world rules, riders, and tracks, plus a genuinely enjoyable career mode. If this is your first MotoGP game, there is a lot here to like.
If you are coming from MotoGP 24 or 25, this is technically the better game, but unless you are a huge MotoGP fan or desperate to race Goiania, it is probably not worth the upgrade. The improvements over MotoGP 25 are simply too small.
That is why I gave MotoGP 26 3 stars.
MotoGP 26 launches on 29 April for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC, and Nintendo Switch. It is also a great handheld game and remains one of my go-to series to play on my Xbox Ally.
Will you be playing MotoGP 26? Let us know in the comments down below!