MotoGP 26 review: More of the same

You’d have to wind the clock back to 2012 for the last time there wasn’t a new official MotoGP video game created by development team Milestone. It even made two more in the mid ‘00s.

MotoGP 26 is the 16th by the Italian studio, and the 14th consecutive launch. With such a lengthy lineage, then, in theory, this should be the greatest Motorcycle Grand Prix title ever. But is it? Here’s our review…

The spec sheet reads like an ideal wishlist for a release of this ilk. All of the real-world riders, teams, motorbikes and circuits from the current season are present and correct, ish…

As is the regular pattern, the liveries and 3D models of the top-class bikes will be updated further from what you see here in a day one patch when MotoGP 26 releases on 29th May. Moto2 and Moto3 vehicles are also to be updated in the coming days, in what has been termed a ‘Week 1’ patch. The previous ranked online multiplayer mode, LiveGP Championships, seems absent, although for the first time, PC players can cross-play with PlayStation and Xbox.

With those caveats out of the way, there are fluid and detailed visuals throughout, no doubt helped by dropping support for previous-gen consoles. A Nintendo Switch 2 version joins the roster this year, however, and we’ll have a separate hands-on for that in the coming days, which we’ll link to in this video description.

A suite of game modes, from local split-screen quick races, ranging all the way up to a lengthy career, are part of the lineup and there are some expanded ‘side’ event types within the Race Off area.

We’ll start here, as they are not only one of the headline additions, but also provide some strange quirks.

Fresh for 2026 is a selection of five production bikes, which are seemingly ported across from Milestone’s other two-wheeled gaming series, Ride 6. Every model seen here is also in that title, and the primary idea is to offer up some variety within the career, with some of these events sprinkled between the main race weekends. 

Completing these – alongside the existing minibikes, motorad and flat track, now with an additional location – can help you earn overall reputation points and also manufacturer or rider affinity. These, in turn, will assist with contract negotiations and which teams send offers your way.

The non-race bikes represent some of the fastest road-legal motorcycles in the world, offering genuine appeal to two-wheeled aficionados.

For more casual fans, however, they represent a confusing proposition. The Race Off mode was seen as largely tokenistic when introduced in MotoGP 25, and this issue hasn’t been solved by adding a fourth category.

It feels like their introduction is half-baked, as you can’t ride them on every track. Outside of career mode, you can only race them around Jerez, Mugello and Philip Island, which are all epic venues steeped in motorbike racing, but it would be nice to have the option to try them elsewhere, too.

The reason you can’t is perhaps to avoid stepping on Ride 6’s toes. You can’t help but notice the similarities between the two titles.

This isn’t the only area we should compare the sibling platforms either, as the flat track lacks a sensation of grip in MotoGP 26, almost like the rear wheel is permanently ensconced in ice. Very odd, and it means there’s little need to brake for most corners as a result.

Another big talking point with this latest GP-racer is the physics, as the creators are touting an all-new “rider-based handling system”. In simple terms, historically, moving the left gamepad stick turned the wheels, with the rider animation following suit. Now, you’re technically using the stick to shift rider weight, and the wheels follow them.

The idea is a more naturalistic approach. The reality is, while we don’t doubt that, it feels only marginally different to last year’s instalment. Perhaps it’s a foundation upon which to build, rather than the fully finished article so far.

Switching between pro and arcade dynamic systems remains, with these revisions in place. Depending on your assist settings, which impressively include accessibility options for one-handed controls, you can still make a complete fool of yourself in the latter, more approachable setup.

Once acclimatised, however, this is an enjoyable riding experience that flatters you into thinking you’re the next Marc Marquez. Then you switch to the pro option, and quickly realise you aren’t.

Gone are the horrendous and constant stoppies of some past virtual MotoGP experiences, but braking still remains the main area to master. So often, you arrive too quickly at an apex, either running wide or, more likely, losing the front as you try to turn in a little too early. 

This does mean that when you finally get your knee down without scraping it off your leg entirely, there’s a sense of achievement. If that sounds like too much trouble, that aforementioned arcade physics option is there to help.

So too are your computer controlled-rivals. As ever, there is a system that learns your pace and adjusts accordingly. While it can sometimes take an entire sprint race of floundering around at the back to adjust, it can also provide a well-judged short race, with you vying for the upper placements without feeling too cheap.

Your rivals still exhibit the same dunderheaded traits seen in past iterations, however, such as some rather odd racing lines. They always seem to take a defensive line heading into Turn 1 at Mandalika, for instance, in the review build at least, or sometimes squish you in a pincer movement down the straight as if they are unable to see.

Track design needs to be commended and criticised in equal measure. The category’s latest ‘new’ track, Goiânia, is included, when official motorsport titles often don’t have the current calendar on release day.

However, it’s becoming increasingly clear that bleeding-edge laser-scan technology isn’t used to accurately recreate the asphalt, kerbing and surrounding areas. Yet with NASCAR, IndyCar and F1 all going down this route, when you clip an enlarged kerb such as on the inside of Red Bull Ring’s Schlossgold corner that isn’t there in real life, it gets increasingly frustrating.

Still, other areas remain as authentic as a MotoGP game has been, with dynamic weather, flag-to-flag rules, long-lap penalties and other riders receiving track limit violations.

Away from the on-track action, the career mode is likely where the majority of players will spend their time, and there are some tweaks to this year’s.

Chiefly, the ability to take part not only with a customised rider, but also from a real-world competitor too. So, if, like us, you’d like to see Toprak Razgatlıoğlu make his way through Moto3 and Moto2 instead of his actual route via Superbikes, you can.

Which is slightly odd, but the option is there. There are also press conferences now, whereby answering a handful of banal questions could contribute to contract changes or a rivalry with a rider. They are as ephemeral as they sound, so too are scenes negotiating your next season’s deal.

Frustratingly, bike development is also rudimentary, with the same set of brief Q&A sessions between rounds essentially the only way of guiding performance improvements since Milestone moved away from a managerial approach.

Which is a shame. Take the EA SPORTS F1 games, for example, and they have both a My Team and Driver Career mode, the latter of which, since 2024, has a detailed driver development component alongside a more satisfying research and development arc. In comparison, MotoGP 26 introduces rider ratings for the first time, but seemingly buried with a collectable card system.

This is a throwaway feature, which seems cool initially. Winning races and completing career seasons unlocked packs of virtual cards, using the right stick to satisfyingly open each set. But there’s nothing else to it, perhaps the beginnings of a deeper feature in the future. Mercifully, at least, there don’t appear to be any microtransactions.

Otherwise, this area is business as usual. It’s solid, enjoyable, but doesn’t innovate.

Which is MotoGP 26 in a nutshell, really. It’s a rewarding ride with pretty visuals, but it doesn’t push the genre forward. I’d really like it for Milestone to be given additional resources or time, as it is happening with the next Formula 1 game, as the foundation remains solid.

But there’s a lack of depth to the progression systems, and it once again feels like a small iteration over the last attempt, even if there’s been a committed effort by a passionate team. Simply, it’s a bit bland.

Score: 7/10

An iterative instalment that lacks punch