Publisher NACON and Lyon-based developer Artefacts Studio have revealed MXGP 26, the official video game of the FIM Motocross World Championship, with a new gameplay trailer. Billed as a new beginning for the franchise, it brings a meaningful visual and physics overhaul via a brand-new engine, alongside new content and improved game modes. It’s scheduled for release in October 2026 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
You’ll choose your rider from an official roster of teams and race official MXGP championship tracks on bikes that simulate authentic handling, weight transfer, and traction. But the headline here is technical: this installment moves the series onto Unreal Engine 5 and rewrites its physics from the ground up.
Unreal Engine 5: A Photorealistic Leap
The transition to Unreal Engine 5 is what NACON is calling a historic visual milestone for the series. The trailer leans into that photorealism with wide environmental shots, ultra-detailed mud textures under the rain, and precise mechanical close-ups on suspension and exhausts — the kind of detail work that only really pays off when the underlying tech can support it.
Rewritten Physics and Helmet-Cam Immersion
Immersion gets a serious push. There’s a gripping new first-person helmet view, fully rewritten motorcycle physics, and completely reworked rider animations. Your rider now reacts dynamically to the terrain, adopting realistic body movements through jumps, flat and banked turns, and while navigating ruts. Bike and gear also get progressively dirtier across a race depending on the weather and soil — dirt, sand, or mud all leave their mark.
That last point is the one worth dwelling on. A track that meaningfully rewrites itself over a race changes how you approach every lap, turning line choice into an evolving problem rather than a memorized route. It’s the most substantive gameplay claim in the reveal, and it’s shown repeatedly throughout the trailer.
A ground-up engine transition delivering photorealistic environments, detailed mud and weather effects, and close-up mechanical fidelity.
A new first-person helmet view puts you inside the visor, paired with fully reworked rider animations that respond to the terrain beneath you.
Tracks deform in real time as bikes carve persistent ruts lap after lap, forcing you to adapt your racing lines as the surface changes.
Grand Prix, Championship, and Time Attack modes, online races for up to 10 players, and the free-roam training grounds of The Compound.
Official 2026 Season Content
The trailer also previews the game’s official content and customization. Four iconic tracks are highlighted, each with a distinct soil type that should pair interestingly with the new deformation tech:
On the rider side, both MXGP and MX2 categories feature stars of the sport including Romain Febvre, Maxime Renaux, Kay de Wolf, and Calvin Vlaanderen. A comprehensive editor lets you design your own rider and customize official machines from championship manufacturers — Kawasaki, Husqvarna, Yamaha, KTM, and Honda among them — with gear from leading brands like Fox Racing, Alpinestars, Scott, and Airoh.
Who’s Building It
It’s a well-matched pairing for a licensed racing sim, and 2026 is a busy year for Artefacts — the studio is also developing the RPG Terrinoth: Heroes of Descent in partnership with New Tales and Asmodee alongside MXGP 26.
Between the online racing for up to 10 players, the Grand Prix, Championship, and Time Attack modes, and the vast free-roam training grounds of The Compound, NACON is positioning MXGP 26 as the ultimate motocross experience. We’ll find out in October 2026 when it lands on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.
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