It’s been a little while since the MXGP series last properly hit the track, two years if you’re counting, but now the official FIM Motocross World Championship is back with MXGP 26 – The Official Game.
This time around, though, things are a little different. Artefacts Studio have taken over development and the game has made the jump to Unreal Engine 5.
Gloriously Deformed
That change of developer and engine certainly makes MXGP 26 – The Official Game feel like something of a fresh start. The game has been rebuilt from the ground up, with new bike physics, improved animations and, perhaps most importantly, dynamic track deformation.
And it’s this last addition that fans of MX racing have been clamouring for, as it really changes the racing from lap to lap. As you tear around a track, the surface gradually breaks up, with ruts developing and different lines appearing.
This means that the track you start on isn’t technically the track you’ll cross the finish line on. You are forced to evolve your racing line and learn when to be on and off the throttle, rather than simply learning one perfect racing line and shaving seconds off it lap by lap.
New Feel
The new physics also give the bikes a real feeling of weight. Getting around a corner, controlling the bike through a rut or landing a jump can be genuinely satisfying, although there is definitely a learning curve here.
Knowing how fast to hit a jump or how deep you want to take a corner will take time. With no rewind feature, you’ll be picking mud out of your goggles more often than not to start with.
This means that, for newcomers, MXGP 26 – The Official Game can be pretty unforgiving. This is amplified by the fact that it does not really do a good job of teaching you any techniques beyond the basics. Though it does fare better when explaining the tuning side of things.
Where it does take the edge off the challenge, however, is through assists. There are lots of options to tweak and adjust to match your level of ability.
Monster Content
Having the official licence, the game is packed with content, featuring all 19 tracks from the 2026 MXGP and MX2 championships alongside the official bikes and riders. You can also customise your own rider, bike and gear. This customisation gives you plenty of options to make your machine feel like your own. However, you can’t share your designs with the world or even your friends, which is a shame.
Where the game falls a bit short is that there’s no traditional career mode. This means you can’t start out in MX2 and work your way up the ranks to the MXGP class, manage a team or develop your bike over multiple seasons.
Instead, the Championship mode essentially gives you a single season to compete through. That is fine, but it does feel rather basic when compared to other bike racing titles, let alone sports games.
Track Look
Visually, Unreal Engine 5 has significantly improved the presentation side of things, giving the series’ tracks a much-needed facelift. The changing surfaces, weather and bike detail all help sell the muddy weekend experience.
MXGP 26 – The Official Game feels like a foundation instalment. The actual racing is improved and the dynamic tracks are brilliant, but the lack of features like a full-fat career mode and some rough edges hint at where there is still work to be done.
But there’s a solid foundation here, and hopefully Artefacts Studio’s next instalment builds on it rather than starting over again.
- MXGP 26: The Official Game review – Mixed Bag, Right Track
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