- The MXGP 26 beta is a full rebuild on Unreal Engine 5 by Ncon and Artifact Studio.
- Free-air physics with dual-joystick bike control replace the arcade feel of MXGP 24.
- Release date is October 1, 2026, with 29 achievements and time trial gold-medal laps.
- Start with medium assists, then reduce them to unlock the full riding experience.
- Sand and clay tracks demand different corner speeds and rut-riding techniques.
MXGP 26 Beta: What's New
The MXGP 26 beta marks a complete turning point for the official Motocross Championship series. After a two-year gap following MXGP 24, Ncon and Artifact Studio rebuilt the game from the ground up on Unreal Engine 5, and early hands-on impressions confirm this is a fundamentally different game rather than an incremental patch.
Video Highlights:
- Full time trial gameplay on Fox Hills (MX2 250) and Lommel (450)
- No-assist physics demo showing scrub, lean, and independent brake control
- Comparison between free physics and full-assist riding
- First-person camera and adjustable FOV settings shown live
- Bike setup menu covering gear ratios, brakes, fork, and shock tuning
| Feature | MXGP 24 | MXGP 26 Beta |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | Legacy engine | Unreal Engine 5 |
| Physics feel | Arcade, auto-correcting bikes | Free, dual-joystick control |
| Cornering | Bike self-rights after turns | Ruts grab the bike, speed matters |
| Cameras | Basic presets | Adjustable FOV, strong first-person |
| Pre-launch marketing | Overexposed | Deliberately limited reveals |
The core change is that where you push the joysticks is where the bike actually goes. The left stick steers while the right stick handles lean — forward, back, left, and right — giving you genuine mid-air scrub and whip control that MXGP 24 never offered.
Physics and Riding Feel
The MXGP 26 beta rides as a sim-cade middle ground: challenging and realistic in traction and weight transfer, yet still demanding some arcade-style momentum techniques through corners.
Clay Tracks (Fox Hills)
- Grippier, harder-packed dirt
- Ruts pull less aggressively
- Precise lean angle required
- Reward consistent corner speed
Sand Tracks (Lommel, Arco)
- Heavier, momentum-driven riding
- Sand ruts are noticeably grabbier
- Rider weight feels thicker
- 450 class saves poor corner exits
Air Control
- Independent lean on right stick
- Scrub by leaning in, counter-steer out
- Over-jump crashes are real
- Backflips look more realistic than before
Key physics behaviors confirmed in the beta:
- Rut interaction: Enter a corner too fast and the bike skips over the rut and runs wide; carry the right speed and the rut hooks and pulls you through.
- Weight distribution: Lean back on the gas and the bike loops out quickly — especially with wheelie assist off. Lean forward through jump faces to keep the bike level.
- Over-jump penalty: Land long on a tabletop and you crash. There is no quick-get-up button; the rider recovers on his own.
- Track limits: A penalty system voids off-track gains only if you actually gain time, so minor excursions still count.
If you hold the throttle wide open into a turn, the bike will not turn — it goes straight. Matching your entry speed to the rut depth is the single most important skill in the MXGP 26 beta.
Assist Settings and Controls
Assists dramatically change how the bike handles, and the beta exposes a full menu of tunable riding aids.
| Setting | Recommended Starting Value | Advanced Value | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steering sensitivity | Medium | Minimum | Lower = more deliberate inputs |
| Braking assist | Medium | Off | Medium prevents lockup mistakes |
| Wheelie assist | Medium | Off | Off = realistic loop-out risk |
| Traction control | Medium | Off | Off = raw power delivery |
| Free air control sensitivity | High | Max | Higher = faster mid-air flicks |
| Gearbox | Automatic | Manual | Manual needs spare thumb capacity |
Start with Medium Assists
Begin with braking, wheelie, and traction assists at medium. The bike becomes more stable and forgiving while you learn each track's rhythm and braking points.
Learn Corner Speeds
Use the assisted stability to memorize how fast you can enter each rut. Too fast skips over the rut; too slow knives inside it and kills momentum.
Master Rut Riding
Lean into the corner with the right stick to plant the front, then release it and let the left stick steer through the rut. Over-leaning pops you out early.
Turn Assists Down Gradually
Once comfortable, reduce assists one at a time. Full free physics unlocks scrubs, whips, and quick crash recovery that assists noticeably slow down.
Switch to Manual Shifting
The default shift buttons sit on A/X (Xbox) or X/Square (PlayStation). Move to manual only when your thumbs are free enough to handle both sticks plus shifting.
Assisted physics slow down lean response so much that reacting to kicks over the bars becomes difficult. Players who graduate to free physics consistently report faster mid-air corrections and better lap times within a few sessions.
Bike Setup and Camera Options
The time trial bike setup menu is intentionally lean but meaningful, especially per-surface suspension tuning.
| Setup Category | Options | Best Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gearbox | Gear ratio, upshift slip, downshift power | Tune acceleration vs. top speed per track |
| Brakes | Front/rear distribution, overall power | Sand tracks favor rear bias |
| Front fork | Stiffness | Softer for sand, stiffer for clay |
| Shock | Compression settings | Gnarly per-track setups are possible |
| Not included | Tires, ride height | Intentionally excluded from beta menu |
Camera customization is a standout feature:
- Two third-person distances: the far camera gives the best track awareness; the near camera can feel too tight.
- Adjustable FOV from roughly 70 to 110 for third-person near/far and first-person views — 110 creates a fisheye effect, 70 feels compressed.
- First-person view is considered the strongest implementation yet in the series, with only minor pre-launch tweaks remaining.
Time trial mode lets you toggle your own ghost and other players' ghosts on or off — an excellent tool for shaving seconds toward gold-medal lap targets.
Progression and Achievements
The beta confirms 29 total achievements, spanning far more than time trial:
- Gold-medal lap times on every track (e.g., a 1:43.5 benchmark on Lommel is extremely fast)
- Ride distance milestones
- Race wins across different bike categories
- Championship mode objectives
| Goal | Difficulty | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Beat your first clean lap | ★★☆☆☆ | No crashes beats hero laps early |
| Gold time trial medals | ★★★★☆ | Requires rut mastery and manual shifting |
| Championship completion | ★★★☆☆ | Full grid racing with terrain deformation |
| All 29 achievements | ★★★★★ | Long-term grind across all modes |
The beta represents a pre-release build roughly two weeks before the October 1, 2026 launch. Sound design and some first-person details are still flagged for polish, and shift-button remapping may arrive post-launch.
Your First Week in MXGP 26:
- Complete clean laps on Fox Hills and Lommel
- Test sand vs. clay corner speeds on both bikes
- Tune fork and shock separately for each surface
- Reduce all assists from medium to off
- Chase a gold-medal time trial lap
FAQ
Q: When does MXGP 26 release after the beta?
MXGP 26 launches on October 1, 2026. The beta build shown in September 2026 was a near-final version with only minor audio and first-person camera polish remaining.
Q: Is the MXGP 26 beta more sim or arcade?
It sits in a sim-cade middle ground. Traction, ruts, weight transfer, and over-jump crashes feel realistic, but building speed through corners still requires some arcade-style momentum techniques.
Q: Should I play the MXGP 26 beta with assists on or off?
Start with medium assists to learn track rhythms and braking points, then progressively turn them off. Full-assist mode slows lean response so much that reacting to kicks and crashes becomes harder, and it blocks mid-air scrubs and whips.
Q: Which bike class is better for beginners in MXGP 26?
The 450 is more forgiving. If you mess up a corner, the extra torque carries you through the exit far better than the MX2 250, which demands maintained momentum and precise corner speed.