- MXGP 26 physics were rebuilt from scratch on a brand-new engine by Artifact Studio.
- Three core surfaces: dirt (hard pack), sand, and clay, each with dry and wet variants.
- Grip and terrain deformation were the two biggest development priorities.
- Rider posture (standing vs sitting) has a real physics impact via rider weight.
- Assist settings let you scale from guided amateur handling to full free control for whips and scrubs.
MXGP 26 Physics: What Changed
The MXGP 26 physics system is the centerpiece of this year's release. Artifact Studio rebuilt the entire game on a new engine, and the riding model was overhauled from the ground up rather than iterated from previous entries. Grip, terrain deformation, and air control received the most attention during development, and the studio has stated that post-launch physics tuning will be driven directly by community feedback on Steam, Xbox, and PS5.
Video Highlights:
- Lead producer Ramon explains the three core terrain types and their wet/dry variants
- Why career mode was skipped this year to focus on core physics and handling
- How terrain deformation interacts with bike behavior
- Air control assists and the standing/sitting input feature
The key design philosophy: get the fundamentals right first. Physics, grip, and terrain feel were prioritized over content modes like career, which the team plans to build properly for the next iteration.
Because the physics engine is brand new, your habits from older MXGP titles may not transfer. Spend your first sessions testing how each surface responds before pushing lap times.
Terrain Types and Grip Model
MXGP 26 focuses on three main surface types, each available in dry and rainy conditions. Surface type plus weather changes how the bike handles — a powerful bike slides noticeably more in the rain, and each terrain variant rewards different throttle and lean inputs.
| Terrain | Dry Behavior | Wet/Rain Behavior | Riding Tip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dirt / Hard pack | Predictable grip, stable lines | Slicker surface, more sliding | Brake earlier, carry smooth corner speed |
| Sand | Loose feel, bike wanders | Heavier, cuts deeper ruts | Stay on the gas, weight the front |
| Clay | High grip when dry | Very slippery when wet | Avoid abrupt throttle in rain |
Grip was explicitly called out by the developers as the community's top priority, and multiple refinement passes were made between early showcases and launch — including further improvements after the 2026 gameplay showcase.
Grip System
- Reworked from community feedback
- Multiple tuning passes pre-launch
- Surface-dependent traction levels
Deformation
- Dynamic terrain deformation
- Ruts form as laps accumulate
- Bike behavior changes with deformation depth
Weather Layer
- Dry and wet variants per surface
- Rain amplifies sliding
- Strong bikes harder to manage in wet
Riding a high-power bike in wet conditions changes the handling balance significantly. Reduce throttle input exiting corners or the rear will step out.
Air Control: Whips, Scrubs, and Assists
Controlling the bike in the air is treated as a completely distinct discipline from ground handling. MXGP 26 solves the casual-versus-pro split through a layered assist system tied to your rider profile.
Choose your profile
Selecting the amateur profile activates all air-control assists so you can learn bike handling in the air safely.
Learn the basics
Ride with assists on until jumps and landings feel consistent and predictable.
Deactivate assists gradually
Turn off individual assists as your confidence grows, moving toward unassisted control.
Go fully free
With all assists off, you gain full manual control for free whips and scrubs — if you can handle it.
The developers deliberately built this as a progression: assisted riders get a guided experience, while expert players can perform fully free whips and scrubs with raw inputs.
Do not disable all assists at once. Turn off one assist per session so you can isolate exactly how each layer changes your air control.
Rider Posture and Weight Physics
A new input feature lets you manually control when your rider stands up or sits down. By default this is automatic — the game decides for you — but activating the option adds a HUD indicator showing your current posture.
Crucially, this is not cosmetic. The rider has weight, and whether that weight is seated or standing genuinely changes how the bike behaves. Standing shifts the effective weight distribution, which you can physically see on the rider model, especially at low speed.
| Setting | Default State | What It Does |
|---|---|---|
| Posture input | Deactivated | Game auto-selects sitting or standing |
| Posture input ON | Manual control | You choose when to stand or sit |
| HUD indicator | Shows with input ON | Live feedback on current posture |
| Physics effect | Always active | Rider weight alters bike behavior by posture |
Combined with surface type and weather, posture gives advanced riders another tuning axis — think of standing through rough, rutted sections as a genuine technique, not just visual flair.
Field Size, AI Difficulty, and Setup Checklist
Physics performance is also why rider counts are capped. Offline, MXGP class supports up to 20 riders while MX2 runs 16, matching the official 2026 grid. Online is limited to 10 riders to keep the experience smooth, since simulating 40-rider real-life grids remains technically challenging without performance hits.
| Mode | Max Riders | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| MXGP offline | 20 | Standard class field |
| MX2 offline | 16 | Matches 16 official 2026 riders |
| Online | 10 | Performance and connection stability |
AI difficulty spans four levels from amateur to expert, and each track's AI has been individually tuned for optimal jump and corner lines. AI riders can also take multiple lines through corners — if an AI runs wide to the outside, it will commit to the outer line, adding variety to every race.
Physics Tuning Checklist:
- Test all three terrain types in dry conditions
- Repeat the same track in rain to feel the grip change
- Complete a full session with amateur assists
- Disable one air-control assist at a time
- Activate manual posture input and note the weight difference
- Post your physics feedback on Steam, Xbox, or PS5 channels
Artifact Studio monitors comments on every platform and uses them to tune post-launch physics patches and the next MXGP iteration. Detailed, specific feedback about grip and deformation gets results.
FAQ
Q: What terrain types does MXGP 26 physics simulate?
Three main surfaces: dirt (hard pack), sand, and clay. Each has dry and wet variants, and riding in the rain changes grip and slide behavior noticeably, especially on powerful bikes.
Q: Can I do free whips and scrubs in MXGP 26?
Yes. The amateur profile enables air-control assists, but you can deactivate assists individually or entirely for full manual control over whips and scrubs.
Q: Does rider posture actually affect the MXGP 26 physics?
Yes. When you activate the posture input option, your rider's weight — whether standing or sitting — genuinely changes bike behavior. It is not just a visual feature, and a HUD element shows your current posture.
Q: Will the physics be updated after launch?
The developers stated that post-launch support will largely follow community feedback across Steam, Xbox, and PS5, with grip, terrain deformation, and overall handling being primary areas for refinement.