BEYOND THE GRID EPISODE 2: CAREER AND TECHNOLOGY
We are once more with Game Director Matteo Pezzotti and Lead Game Designer Stefano Talarico to talk about the latest innovations of the MotoGP™ franchise!
Hey everyone, welcome back! Over the last few days, you have discovered many of the MotoGP™25 new features, like the new training sessions and the revised career mode, but there is still so much more to explore. We were able to talk once again with Game Director Matteo Pezzotti and Lead Game Designer Stefano Talarico to dive even deeper into the career mode and the tech innovations of the new chapter. Let’s find out below!
Guys, thank you so much for being here once again. In the last episode we ended our conversation talking about the Race Off modes and how they will affect our rider’s performance in the career mode. But that’s not the only new feature that’s been included in the latter, can you tell us more about it?
Of course! One of the main changes of the career is the turning points. In MotoGP™25 you can now build your way to success by choosing your desired path at the start of each chapter. You can achieve the contract of your dreams, engage in a close rivalry, or bring a lower field team to the top of the grid through development. Once again, we have taken inspiration from real life to create this feature. Every rider has a personal objective and to achieve it they make very specific decisions. The ultimate goal will always be to become the world champion, but now you can arrive at the top in many different ways.
[Matteo Pezzotti, Game Director]
Career seasons are always defined by groups of races: a first series set abroad, a larger European section, and a final part in the East. For the first time, you will be given the opportunity to choose your objectives for each group of races, and at the end of each, depending on what you have achieved, you will see a Turning Point. That lets you see your progress and gives you the chance to turn the tide if you have failed an objective or gain even more in case of a reached goal. Depending on the path you follow, goals and rivals will be different.
[Stefano Talarico, Lead Game Designer]
So now we will have more freedom than ever! Not only are turning points different, but the social relationships system has been slightly revised, is that correct?
Yes! In the career mode, everything is connected, the social system, the Riders Market, the riders’ performance and even the new Race Off modes. In MotoGP™25 you can see the social status between riders in real time during a race. We have added a new HUD that shows these changes and will help you to understand them better.
Relationships in general will be affected by your status with other riders. For example, in the training sessions, you can improve your relationship with them by accepting their invitations.
When it comes to the Riders Market, relationships and current riders’ performances can impact your decisions. Just like in real life, AI riders can have performance fluctuations due to bike development or career results, and you can see them live on the Paddock page, using that information to your advantage when making important decisions. For example, if you want to join a specific team, you might want to see how that team’s riders are performing and wait for a less positive moment from them to approach the team and make your offer.
[Stefano Talarico, Lead Game Designer]
Wow, so everything will be super connected! I bet we will feel exactly like being in the real paddock! Let’s move on to another question: MotoGP™25 will introduce the Arcade and Pro Game Experience for the first time; can you talk about that?
Absolutely! We have decided to include two different experiences because we are aware that there is a part of MotoGP™ fans that would love to immerse themselves into the sport virtually but find it difficult to approach the previous games due to their complexity. The Arcade Game Experience is a completely new and different way to feel the game in its entirety. Not only will the physics be different, but also the structure of the sessions and the setup system have been reworked to be simpler and more accessible. We know that learning to ride a MotoGP™ bike with the most difficult settings is very satisfying, but it may not be for everyone. That’s why we have included this new experience to allow you to have fun immediately and live the life of a real rider, even if you have less expertise with simulations. The game structure won’t change, and you will have the same features as the Pro Game Experience. Mind you, Arcade doesn’t mean doing boosts or super jumps, it will still be MotoGP™, just with a simpler approach.
Of course, we have not forgotten our core fans, those who want to push the simulation to the limit. We are so happy that you appreciated the physics of last year’s chapter, so we have built on the previous, acclaimed iteration of our physics, tweaking some of the elements that you gave us feedback on. If you choose the Pro Game Experience, you will still find the same riding sensations and setup as in previous years. We have also updated the FIM MotoGP™ Stewards with a third lighter preset which is perfect for an Arcade experience.
[Matteo Pezzotti, Game Director]
Speaking of simulation, the new Bike Development System has been developed from the ground up to be even closer to real-life development. What can you tell us about it?
The new Bike Development System allows you to have a briefing session with your engineer at the end of each race weekend to discuss the performance of your bike. You can explain to the team what went well and what can be improved to get better results. By attending each briefing, you can steer development in a specific direction to get the bike you want. You won’t be the only rider to give feedback, but also your teammate and the other riders who use the same manufacturer as you will. Developments won’t be immediate. There will be special test sessions at the end of the upgrading period where you can try out the upgrades and give the team extra feedback.
[Matteo Pezzotti, Game Director]
Keep in mind that the bikes in the game are set to real-life values, so both manufacturers and riders will influence and encourage upgrades based on real attitudes and tendencies. You can follow them or take the bike in a completely different direction, which is why it is so important to attend the briefings.
You will also be able to always keep an eye on the upgrades of each bike on the grid and see what the other teams are doing, with a special indicator in the menu. If a rival keeps beating you, you can look at his bike development to see what he is doing and get inspiration from him.
In general, this new feature is a constant conversation between you and your team. We talked to real engineers to create dialog options and just like in real life; you will be asked what sensations you feel and what you really want to feel. You can have many approaches to this system, a more participatory one or a more passive one. We give you complete freedom to choose your destiny, even in the development of your bike. Now you will feel like a real rider every step of the way.
[Stefano Talarico, Lead Game Designer]
Moving on to the technological innovations of this new MotoGP™ chapter. The game uses Unreal Engine 5 for the first time, how was the engine change and what were your goals with this next technological step?
Our main goal was to give you continuity with the previous chapters that used Unreal Engine 4. This was not an easy task, and we are very happy with the result we have achieved. You will still see many improvements such as global lighting, vegetation and higher detail levels. Especially with the lighting, we were able to improve and enhance elements such as the rider’s faces and bike reflections. We know that Unreal Engine 5 is capable of much more, and we see MotoGP™25 as the first step in a process of continuous improvement, both graphically and physically.
[Stefano Talarico, Lead Game Designer]
Finally, one of the main technological innovations of MotoGP™25 is the sound. How did you achieved that powerful engine roar?
The first step was to change the recording method. We have always used the dynamometer to record the official bikes, but this year, thanks to the collaboration with each MotoGP™ team, we were able to run the bikes on track. The sounds were recorded during last year’s races weekends by placing microphones at strategic points on each bike and obtaining high quality sound material. Going from a controlled environment to the actual track was a total game changer for the final result, and we were able to get frequencies that were previously impossible due to the recording method. Once we had all the material, we mixed it to create a dynamic range and a precise personality for each bike. You can also hear different angles based on the camera that you are currently using, such as the helmet cam. This method was also used for the training sessions’ bikes.
This was something that we really wanted to do, and we are so happy that we were able to do it this year. We can’t wait for you to hear the result and dive even deeper into the MotoGP™ bikes!
[Matteo Pezzotti, Game Director]
Matteo, Stefano thank you so much for being with us again this year to discover the new chapter of MotoGP™!
MotoGP™25 will be available from April 30th, 2025, on PlayStation®5, PlayStation®4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch™, and PC via Steam and Epic Game Store.