Nacon has announced that the MXGP franchise is coming back with a new entry slated for release in October on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S. Titled MXGP 26, the game will feature entirely new motorcycle physics that feature new rider animations and living terrain with dynamic deformation technology. Check out the trailer below.
Fans of motocross have plenty to look forward to, with the trailer showcasing how some of the impressive new physics will work. The track itself is also quite visibly changing as it gets driven through, with each motorcycle leaving its mark in the dirt and mud.
As one would expect from a new entry in a sports franchise, MXGP 26 will feature content from the official 2026 motocross season. This includes tracks like Argentina’s Bariloche with volcanic soil, Sardinia’s Riola Sardo with sand, Italy’s Pietramurata with compact dirt, and the Czech Republic’s Loket with hard-packed dirt. Plenty of riders will also be represented across MXGP and MX2 categories, including Romain Febvre, Maxime Renaux, Kay de Wolf, and Calvin Vlaanderen.
MXGP 26 is also going to feature a comprehensive editor that allows players to customize and fine-tune the appearance of their bikes and riders, including parts and graphics from championship manufacturers like Honda, KTM, and Kawasaki, and gear from brands like Fox Racing, Alpinestar, and Airoh, among others.
When it comes to game modes, MXGP 26 is going to include Grand Prix, Championship, and Time Attack. The Grand Prix mode acts as a quick way to get into a race, while Championship will offer a longer series of races across a variety of tracks. While there is no word on a career mode in the game, Championship might end up filling in. Players will also get to ride around in a free-roam area referred to as The Compound.
Fans of multiplayer racing can look forward to online races that pit up to 10 players against each other. Customization of riders and vehicles is likely to play a bigger role here since you can show off your style against other racers.
This entry marks a major change for publisher Nacon and developer Artefacts Studio, since it is the first one to be developed in Unreal Engine 5, leaving behind the franchise’s KT Engine technology. Whether this means we’ll get to see more visual effects and optimizations associated with Unreal Engine, like Lumen and Nanite, remains to be seen. However, the studio has noted that it will feature advanced lighting, textures, and environmental details.
The change in game engines also gave the developers the chance to work on dynamic deformation, which has been described as “THE new feature” of MXGP 26. Rather than simply being visual changes to tracks, deformation will have a gameplay role, making patches of dirt and mud more difficult to ride through as the tracks get deeper due to racing lines.
MXGP 26 is going to be the first entry in the franchise since MXGP 2024 – The Official Game. Artefacts Studio likely decided to skip out on releasing an entry last year so that it could work on transitioning from KT Engine to Unreal Engine 5.
