MXGP 26 Early Access: Unreal Engine 5, Editions, Xbox Online and PC Requirements

What launched, and when​

Several outlets carried Nacon's announcement. Gamestic reported that publisher Nacon and developer Artefacts Studio have launched early access for MXGP 26, the official videogame of the FIM Motocross World Championship. The early access is available 72 hours ahead of its full launch on October 1, 2026, for players who purchased the Fox Holeshot Edition.

Dutch outlet Evilgamerz, working from the same Nacon release, says Fox Holeshot owners can start playing today on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC. The date wasn't a surprise: back in August, Traxion reported early access for those who buy the Fox Holeshot edition, which includes a Fox Holeshot costmetic pack, from 28th September 2026.

There's one catch for Xbox shoppers. When we captured Microsoft's US Xbox Store listing, it still labelled both the Standard Edition and the Fox Holeshot Edition as pre-orders. Storefronts often update later than press releases. If the Fox Holeshot Edition isn't downloadable yet in your region, check again later before assuming something is broken.

On PC, Gamestic lists the release on Steam. Nacon's own US store lists both PC digital editions as "coming soon", so PC buyers should check the Steam page for their region.

Section summary: Early access started September 28 for Fox Holeshot buyers, and everyone else gets the game on October 1. Store listings may lag behind the announcement.

Editions and pricing: read the label​

Prices depend on where you look. Nacon's US store lists the Standard Edition Xbox Series X at $USD 59.99, Standard Edition PC Digital at $USD 49.99, Fox Holeshot Edition PC Digital at $USD 59.99, and Fox Holeshot Edition Xbox Series X Digital at $USD 69.99. That means the PC version is $10 cheaper than console in both tiers.

| Edition | Xbox Series X|S (US) | PC (US, Nacon store) | Early access |

|---|---|---|---|

| Standard | $59.99 | $49.99 | No, launches October 1 |

| Fox Holeshot | $69.99 | $59.99 | Yes, 72 hours from September 28 |

Nacon's French store shows the same structure in euros: €59.99 Standard and €69.99 Fox Holeshot on console, with PC starting at €49.99. TheXboxHub reports UK prices of £49.99 for Standard and £54.99 for Fox Holeshot. We haven't confirmed those against a UK storefront, so check your local store.

What each edition includes also varies by source:

• Xbox Store (US): Standard includes the game plus the SCRUB Designz Liveries Pack. Fox Holeshot adds the Fox Premium Pack.
• Traxion: The SCRUB Designz liveries are a pre-order bonus.
• Nacon's announcement, via Dutch outlet Headliner: the edition contains five exclusive Fox liveries and access to MXGP-TV, the official platform for live races.
• TheXboxHub: Fox Holeshot includes six SCRUB Designz liveries, five Fox liveries and MXGP-TV access.

Nacon's store page lists the Fox Premium Pack and MXGP TV under every edition, including Standard. That looks like a copy-paste template rather than an actual bundle offer. Check the Xbox or Steam edition comparison before you pay extra for something you might get anyway.

For context, the last entry's deluxe edition offered less. On the Xbox Store, the MXGP 24 Fox Holeshot Edition gives you access to 4 exclusive Fox suits for your rider. This time you get more cosmetics and a streaming add-on for the same $10 upcharge.

Section summary: Fox Holeshot costs $10 more and gets you three days of early play plus Fox cosmetics. The SCRUB Designz pack appears to be tied to Standard or pre-order purchases too. PC is cheaper than console.

Unreal Engine 5 and a track that fights back​

The official MXGP site ran a July announcement from Infront Moto Racing and Nacon. It called MXGP 26 the first game in the series built on Unreal Engine 5. It also named dynamic deformation as the biggest change: ruts that stay on the track lap after lap and force riders to keep changing their lines. The same announcement promised rewritten bike physics, reworked rider animations and a new first-person helmet camera.

The Xbox Store copy makes the same pitch: the track is constantly evolving, which will put your talent and adaptability to the test as the impact on physics is real, and you will have to adapt to the changing trajectories. That's a real change for a motocross game. Earlier racers often treated the track as a fixed backdrop. A surface that remembers every pass means the fastest line on lap one might be the worst line by lap eight, which is how the real sport works.

These are still publisher claims. The early hands-on coverage is mixed. Traxion's preview praised the physics changes but reported that the game misses that extra mid-corner rider flexibility of Supercross 25. We'll know more once full reviews arrive.

Content and modes​

According to the Xbox Store listing, the game has the official MXGP licence and all 19 official tracks of the season in both the MXGP and MX2 classes. Nacon's release, as reported by Gamestic, adds 16 official bikes across the MXGP and MX2 categories, major manufacturers, licensed riders such as Jeffrey Herlings and Romain Febvre, and official circuits including Bariloche and Riola Sardo.

The modes listed on the Xbox Store:

1. The Compound: a free-ride area for practising scrubs and whips.
2. Time Trial: chase the fastest lap.
3. Quick Race: nail the holeshot in a Quick Race against a grid of 20 wild riders, with shorter or longer heats.
4. Championship: race a full season to win the red plate.
5. Online Multiplayer: two to ten players, with a global ranking.

One difference from the previous game: the MXGP 24 listing highlighted an extensive career mode with team management and rivalries. The MXGP 26 store copy describes Championship mode but doesn't advertise a career mode like that. It may still be in the game, but career-mode fans should wait for reviews before assuming it is.

Section summary: The game covers 19 tracks, 16 bikes and five modes. Career-mode fans should wait for confirmation.

What Xbox and PC players need to know​

Here's the practical stuff the launch coverage mostly skips.

On Xbox Series X|S:

• The Xbox Store lists the game as Optimized for Xbox Series X|S, with 4K Ultra HD, 60 fps+, achievements and cloud saves. We found no Xbox One version.
• Online multiplayer on console requires an Xbox Game Pass Essential, Premium or Ultimate subscription, sold separately. If you only race online, add that to the price.
• The listing also mentions in-app purchases, 13 accessibility features and 11 supported languages.

On Windows PC, Nacon's store page lists these requirements:

A GTX 1080 as the minimum GPU is fairly generous for an Unreal Engine 5 game. Still, 12 GB of RAM as the floor is a reminder that UE5 uses a lot of memory. If you're still on 8 GB, this is the kind of game that will push you to upgrade. The 26 GB install is modest by 2026 standards, so it won't crowd your SSD.

The bottom line​

Nacon's "new era" pitch is marketing. What's actually confirmed is useful: Unreal Engine 5, a deforming track surface that changes how races play out, and a cheaper PC version. The Fox Holeshot Edition is mostly a $10 fee to play three days early with some Fox cosmetics. On Xbox, remember the Game Pass requirement for online play. On PC, check the RAM requirement. Standard buyers get the game on October 1.