A release trailer has just dropped for the upcoming MotoGP 24 with some important bits of information about the upcoming game. For one thing, we now have a release date, plus some other basic info about what’s new in the coming game.

MotoGP 24 is set to release at the start of May 2024.

And here’s some other key features that have been announced, summarized:

• Release date – May 2
• Available on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox X/S, Switch, PC (stream)
• Off season rider transfers now allowed
• New race stewards feature applied to both AI and human players.
• New LiveGP online modes (mini championships).
• Continuation of adaptive AI model.
• Crossplay available between PlayStation/Xbox
• Full rider and bike customization and sharing available.

Some of these features are new and some are just continuations of previous editions. But I’ll cover some of the main features plugged for this year’s game below.

MotoGP 24 Release Trailer & Info

New Feature #1 – Rider Transfers Now Available

MotoGP games have been waiting for this feature for years. F1 gamers got it a few years ago, and now it’s arrived here as well. Riders will now be able to change teams between seasons on MotoGP 24.

As is usually the case, it has been a licensing issue with rights holders Dorna to allow this. It was a similar struggle with the F1 games. But now it’s here so riders can indeed change teams between seasons as happens in real life, instead of being stuck in one team even if the real life driver market changes.

What’s unclear is how random or controlled the setting will be. For example will some riders stay with their initial team for 2 or more seasons? Or will it be a more chaotic story where all riders literally change teams every single season? Also, are in-season transfers going to be allowed?

The answers to all these questions aren’t known yet, but what is clear is that some form of rider transfers between teams will now feature on the new game.

New Feature #2 – Race Stewards

This is another exciting new feature. MotoGP 24 will now feature a kind of automated AI race stewarding/management, where penalties can be applied to infringements of rules, like unsportsmanlike behavior, corner cutting, and so on.

Penalties such as Long Lap, “let rider past”, time penalties or deleted qualifying laps can now be applied by the game.

Moreover, this system will apply to both human and AI riders, hopefully balancing the playing field a little since it’s been a frustration on some recent MotoGP games that rules/restrictions which apply to the human players don’t seem to apply to the AI riders (tyre wear, bike recovery, etc).

In other words, it looks like MotoGP 24 will have a more strictly applied penalty system to punish infractions from riders.

But the key question here is how well will it work? I know that penalty systems on the F1 games haven’t always worked well in practice, either being too sensitive or too light and tough to get 100% right. Applying correct and consistent corner cutting penalties has always been a problem for example.

It could be the same with MotoGP 24, especially since it’s their first go at this kind of system. It might over or under apply penalties, so it’s best not to expect it to be 100% dialled in on this year’s game.

But it’s great that they’re adding this feature in, especially considering the overly aggressive AI on the last few MotoGP games. Time for them to receive some penalties for their constant barging and other dirty behavior!

Other Features On MotoGP 24

Here’s some other features that have been announced, that aren’t altogether new but are tweaked or improved or expanded.

Old Gen – It’s good that the game will still be available on the old gen PS4 and Xbox One consoles, since not all players have moved over to current gen yet.

Online Modes – LiveGP – where online race events are scheduled every day for players to compete in – was already on the ’23 game. But this year there will also be LiveGP mini-championships every month – presumably small seasons of races strung together that you can compete in. I like this as it adds more context, instead of just doing random single races one after another. Sounds good! Also, Crossplay does make it’s return, but only between PlayStation and Xbox console users. It’s not available for PC/Switch users, and LiveGP is also not available on Switch. Local split-screen multiplayer also make it’s return.

Adaptive AI – Again this isn’t really a new feature, since it was already in the ’23 game. But again, the AI is designed to dynamically adapt is pace and riding in accordance with your own pace and skill level. Moreover, AI riders are also configured to match their real life style more accurately (aggression vs caution). Hopefully this will make for a more realistic experience, but honestly the AI on the ’23 game seemed a bit of a mess in my experience, with any level you picked being just right on some tracks, but way too easy or hard on other tracks. Hopefully it’s more evenly calibrated on ’24.

Driver customization – Is a regular feature – a rider’s appearance and style is fully customizable. Helmet, livery, race suits, numbers etc. can all be set by the player and shared (except on the Switch).

Key Question – What Will The Handling/Physics Be Like?

I think for me one of the key factors that will determine the success or not of MotoGP 24 in terms of attracting and retaining players is what the handling is like, and how popular it proves to be.

Honestly, this has been the issue on the last two games – MotoGP 22 and MotoGP 23 – that has annoyed some fans off the games.

For MotoGP 22, the handling and learning curve was brutally difficult, to the point many players just stopped playing the game. The braking was very difficult, and it was just very hard to put together consistent laps on it.

For MotoGP 23, it was made much easier, and I personally much prefer it to the ’22 game and like playing it. But some people didn’t like this edition either, finding the handling too sluggish or “bogged down”, like you’re running full TC all the time even if you’re not.

You’ve got a sizeable number of MotoGP gamers who don’t like either the ’22 or ’23 editions, and have gone back to playing the ’21 edition or earlier. Therefore, to win these fans over, I’d suggest that the handling needs to be accessible and fun on a core level with assists enabled, but also with layers of difficulty and progression built into into it so players of higher skill level can also find their own “sweet spot”.

As regards the handling and physics for MotoGP 24, this release does announce changes to the physics for better cornering stability and power delivery and also a better distinction between different tyres in terms of handling and “feel”:

But it’s all pretty vague at the moment. Perhaps it’s going to be something of a balance or midway point between the ’22 and ’23 handling models, since ’22 felt in many ways too “loose” and hard to control, whilst ’23 felt too bogged down for many players.

Bottom line – these MotoGP games are pretty hard to get into no matter what, so any riding physics that makes it at least possible to lap consistently with some practice will be welcomed in MotoGP 24.