MotoGP 26 Review – Motor Racing In Style

MotoGP 26 is the latest entry in Milestone’s long-running two-wheeled racing series, bringing the official MotoGP championship with all the teams, riders, and circuits from the current season. Built to balance realism with accessibility, it aims to capture the precision, speed, and strategy that define the sport while still welcoming players who might be jumping on the bike for the first time.

With returning modes like Career, alongside a continued focus on authentic presentation and refined handling, MotoGP 26 positions itself as both a continuation of the series’ foundations and a subtle step forward for fans of simulation racing.

Game Name: MOTOGP26
Platform(s): Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S
Reviewed On: Xbox Series X
Genre: Racing
Developer(s): Milestone S.r.l.
Publisher(s): Milestone S.r.l.
Release Date: 29th April 2026

Starting Line

MotoGP 26 feels like a confident lap that never quite pushes into pole position. It’s slick, technically sound, and clearly built by a team that understands the sport, but it also plays things a little too safe when it should be chasing the edge.

Right out of the gate, the presentation does a lot of heavy lifting. Races look fantastic on Xbox Series X, with bikes glinting under track lights and circuits carrying that authentic broadcast feel MotoGP fans expect. There’s a tangible sense of speed here too, especially when you’re threading through tighter corners or pushing hard on longer straights. It’s not a night-and-day leap over previous entries, but it’s polished enough to feel current.

The riding itself is where MotoGP 26 continues to walk its familiar line between simulation and accessibility. There’s a solid weight to the bikes, and managing braking, lean angles, and throttle control still feels rewarding when you nail a clean lap. At the same time, assists make it approachable for newcomers, even if veterans might find the overall handling model a bit too forgiving in places. It’s enjoyable, but it rarely surprises you.

Career Mode Needs More Than Another Season

Career mode returns with the expected structure, letting you climb the ranks and manage your team across seasons. It’s functional and occasionally engaging, though it doesn’t do much to evolve the formula. Off-track elements feel a bit routine at this point, and while progression is steady, it lacks that hook that keeps you thinking about your next race when you’re not playing.

In career mode, you are only able to race for a team and affect your bike. Many other sports games have a manage a team mode, like F1, they have had this for many years, and not having it in MotoGP 26 feels sort of in the past. It would have been so cool to be able to manage a team overall, choosing who is racing for you, managing the bike, and R&D. With only a solo career mode, MotoGP 26 might not have the staying power you’d hope.

My Career was quite fun for the first season, but like most racing games, it just turns into racing the same tracks against the same AI. Yes, AI difficulty can be adjusted up or down to make the game more challenging and maybe spice up the season, but in my eyes, relying on difficulty alone shouldn’t be the only factor. Something nice is being able to start in MotoG3 and make your way up to MotoGP. Even then, though, you are still on the same courses.

Online Racing Has Speed, But Not Enough Stakes

MotoGP 26 does have an online mode, but it is very basic. You can either host a lobby or join someone else’s. You and up to 25 other then race around the courses. There is no ranking at all; some people may see this as a good thing. But without some sort of stakes, the races just become a demolition derby of sorts.

Other modes include just your standard “Race now,” where you can do a single track or time trial. These are just standard in racing games, I feel, and as you’d expect, they are what they say on the tin…

Split-screen being included is something I was not expecting. Seems nowadays many games stray away from split screen. It’s not something I will take advantage of, but I can imagine some people out there would.

Where things start to lose momentum is in the sense of innovation. MotoGP 26 doesn’t make many bold moves, and that familiarity can work against it. Modes feel largely unchanged, and while everything works, very little stands out. For long-time fans, it might come across as more of a refinement than a true step forward.

Accessibility and Settings

In MotoGP 26, as you’d expect, there is 2 ways to play. Arcade & Pro. Arcade is, as you’d expect, the new player-friendly way to play. Giving you lots of assistance and guiding you to the degree that you want. Whereas Pro is for all the Motorheads out there, where MotoGP 26 isn’t their first rodeo. This way of playing is the “Authentic” game experience, not holding your hand or helping in any way.

There is also an AI difficulty slider alongside an adaptive difficulty, so you can play with the difficulty to find your sweet spot or just allow AI to do its thing and make your life a nightmare. Riding aids are as you’d come to expect in racing games, being able to make it so the game brakes, steers, and accelerates for you.

Something I am very happily surprised at is that, unlike many other games and nearly every “sports” game I have played, MotoGP 26 gives you the option to remap your controls. A lot of people will overlook this little thing, but I think this is an amazing addition that not only opens the game to people who may not be able to hold a controller fully, but also means every motorcycle fan can play this.

MotoGP 26 Crosses The Line Without Finding Another Gear

That said, the core racing is still strong enough to carry the experience. When you’re locked into a tight battle, pushing for position and hitting your marks corner after corner, MotoGP 26 delivers the kind of tension and satisfaction that keeps the series relevant. It just doesn’t build much beyond that foundation.

In the end, MotoGP 26 is a good racer that plays it a bit too cautiously. It looks the part, rides well, and offers a dependable MotoGP experience, but it doesn’t quite find the extra gear needed to stand out in a crowded field.