I remember talking to a motorcycle dealer last year. He was comparing cars to bikes, and he said anyone can drive like a maniac in a car, but only a select few can really ride a bike at speed. MotoGP highlights this immediately – it’s fast, and whereas car games often let you recover from mistakes, MotoGP punishes you for them instantly.
Miss your braking point by half a second and you’re either in the gravel, or being launched into the sky. This feeling of living (or riding) on the edge has become something of a synonymous feeling with the MotoGP games and in MotoGP 26, realism (and therefore the punishing lows and highs) is more prevalent than ever.
What is then the most authentic and demanding MotoGP game might also be the most rewarding, as well as the most accessible. For every nuance that’s available there letting you feel the delicate balance between skill, power and speed, there’s an assist to support you so you can race with the best and not feel out of place – or at least you need to commit every waking moment towards mastering the game.
One of the key changes in 26 versus previous version is the introduction of a revised physics system. Heavily focused on rider movement and weight transfer, you can no longer just brake into a corner and throw it in whilst leaning. It’s less forgiving with throttle control being extremely important, as well as having to master trail braking (braking hard, then easing off to get more control of the bike into a turn). The control this gives you as a player is fantastic, but it leaves you extremely open to errors and mistakes.
Despite the various accessibility benefits, it can still feel like an extremely difficult game. Rewinding helps (push a button to dial gameplay back a few seconds then try again) but even on ‘Arcade’ mode, it can be too hard for some I feel.
Visually, MotoGP 26 is slick without being revolutionary. The bikes look superb, rider animations are smoother, and the broadcast-style presentation still does a great job of making races feel like a Sunday afternoon on the TV. Rain races in particular look excellent, with reflections and spray adding genuine tension to close battles. Sadly, I did notice some stuttering despite the game being mostly silky smooth, but it openly seems to happen in a few places (such as the big hairpin on Mugello) but the game has had frequent patches in the last few weeks so hopefully this can be improved.
Few racing games however capture speed quite like this. Flying down Mugello’s straight at over 220mph then hammering the brakes into turn one is pure adrenaline every time. Clean laps feel almost like poetry, and this delicate balance persists through the entire experience in MotoGP 26.
Few racing games capture speed quite like this. Flying down Mugello’s straight at over 220mph while desperately trying not to outbrake yourself into Turn 1 creates genuine adrenaline. Clean laps feel earned in a way most racers can’t replicate. The sensation of balancing aggression with survival is where MotoGP 26 absolutely shines.
Career mode has been improved since the last iteration as well. Rider ratings are apparently dynamic now, although not sure I really got this but the inclusion of the paddock atmosphere across visual backdrops and racing debriefing is welcome. However the light team management aspect carries over from previous entries and is broadly very similar to previous years. I can’t really decide what I want from a career mode in racing games, as story versions feel ‘must-win’ but a classic ‘race after race’ can feel a bit dull. I guess it’s open for someone to innovate here. Still, it’s functional.
Which is more than can be said for online multiplayer. There is a lot of crashing, not just from other players but in the game application sending me back to the dashboard. This has reduced with recent patches, but still there. I’ve also had a number of races be stopped and restarted due to red flags – which is a cool feature but I’ve seen more than few never get going as there were too many red flags.
As you’d expect, every official rider, team and circuit from the 2026 season is here, as well as some motard and flat track racing which, honestly, add a little but not a whole lot. For hardcore fans this feels like the definitive edition of MotoGP to date, and the new handling model probably does enough to justify the upgrade even if the core gameplay loop is similar to previous outings. A few more patches should iron out the bugs and then this is a serious winner. Today though, it’s probably just clinching a podium.
Reviewed on Xbox Series X
Leave a Reply