As the Lead Designer, working on a series like MotoGP is extremely challenging. Our goal has always been to replicate as closely as possible the real competition and finding room for innovative improvements is not easy. However, this is also what makes our job special and the reason why I’m so proud of the hefty experience MotoGP 24 will deliver to our fans, whose voices have become more and more central in shaping the series.

Since In the last year, we’ve met our players’ requests like never before by introducing Dynamic Weather and Flag-to-Flag races. This year, we’re following the same path by adding what is probably the most requested and long-awaited feature by the community, as MotoGP 24 career mode marks the introduction of the Riders Market. Here’s how it’s going to change the game for the better.

Starting this year, riders of all categories will be able to change teams, including promotion between classes. This way, players will see roster updates in every in-game season, thus finding exciting new challenges and scenarios to experience every year. The possibilities are endless, as both the AI and players might be proposed to change teams as seasons progress. Importantly, we designed the feature with the intent of offering different but always plausible championships. The Riders Market is based on a set of algorithms that generate transfers weaving the riders’ performance with the prestige and aspirations of each team. Consequently, riders are considered differently by teams based on their past results and the goals they want to achieve. For instance, a rising star like Jorge Martin might be called to bring the Repsol Honda Team back to the top after many difficult years.

Notably, since last year the career mode has become much more dynamic thanks to the introduction of turning points and rivalries, thus revolving around the performances and choices of each player. The Riders Market will follow and accentuate such a philosophy; if the player achieves excellent results in a minor team, he could even steal the seat of a real rider in a top team forcing him to find another contract. If he doesn’t, he will be excluded from the next season but could still come back after one or two years in case a struggling team needs an experienced rider to help with the development of the bike.

Likewise, if a team underperforms, riders will look for something better. Imagining the Ducati Lenovo Team losing competitiveness over the years, its top rider Francesco Bagnaia might look around. Just like in real life, his choice will not only be determined by the current values of the other bikes on the grid, but future perspectives will count as well. If the Aprilia Factory Racing Team obtains steadily convincing performances proving to be on the upswing, it might be able to sign the Italian champion despite not being an immediate contender for the title.

Moreover, players’ behavior on and off the track will greatly influence Riders’ Market dynamics. As I mentioned earlier, last year we introduced a rivalry system as well as a fictional social network where riders, teams, and manufacturers interact with each other. The evolution of rivalries as well as likes and replies on the fictional social network will fuel rumors about possible future transfers, which players will be able to keep an eye on through a dedicated menu of the career mode.

The Riders Market is the last major piece we needed to fully shape the game and the series itself, and I can’t wait to see our fans getting the most out of it. Will there be a day when we see the young, predestined Pedro Acosta challenging the eight-time World Champion Marc Marquez in the same team? Or maybe we are about to witness Fabio Quartararo’s new legacy away from Yamaha? History is still to be written. 

MotoGP 24 will be available on May 2, 2024, on PlayStation5, PlayStation4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and Steam.