Milestone S.r.l.
Italian studio making officially licensed MotoGP, MXGP, and Supercross racing games.
On the record
Checkpoint: MotoGP license renewal decision and Embracer's post-split staffing call on Milestone
The call
Milestone profits from licenses it does not own, growing headcount inside a splitting parent while critics call its flagship series repetitive.
Milestone S.r.l. is a video game studio that makes racing games featuring real motorcycles, cars, and tracks, mainly MotoGP, motocross, and Supercross. The company's biggest strength is that it holds exclusive contracts to use these real sports brands, which competitors like EA or Sony cannot simply copy or buy (the rights holder, Dorna, has to agree to renew). The biggest risk is that these licenses are rented, not owned; Dorna could give the MotoGP contract to someone else when it expires in 2027, and Milestone's owner Embracer is restructuring and cutting costs, which could leave the studio unstable. The one thing that could prove Milestone can survive beyond borrowed licenses is whether its new game Screamer, which uses original IP that Milestone owns outright, sells well enough to show the studio can win on its own ideas.
Why
01
AI pressure: AI asset-generation tools for liveries, physics tuning, and marketing narration. AI cuts art and tuning costs inside Milestone's pipeline but cannot obtain a MotoGP license itself, so it taxes margins, not market share. Could AI do the core job? Unlikely.
02
Bigger players: Dorna Sports (MotoGP rights holder); EA, Codemasters as potential rebidders. Dorna could open MotoGP bidding at 2027 renewal after reviewers called MotoGP 26 stagnant; no formal move yet. Could a giant copy it? No, they are blocked.
03
What protects it. Exclusive multi-year contracts with Dorna, MXGP, Supercross, and Hot Wheels that rivals cannot legally copy, only outbid.
What would change this call
Dorna announces MotoGP license renewal terms or opens bidding ahead of 2027-2028 cycle. Would show whether Milestone's core licensed moat is secure or contested.
Screamer sales figures or Embracer disclose its commercial performance. Would show if Milestone can succeed on owned IP beyond annual licensed titles.
Embracer's April 2027 post-split decisions on Milestone's staffing, funding, or ownership. Would show whether Milestone keeps stability or faces cuts/divestment.
Screamer sales figures or Embracer disclose its commercial performance. Would show if Milestone can succeed on owned IP beyond annual licensed titles.
Embracer's April 2027 post-split decisions on Milestone's staffing, funding, or ownership. Would show whether Milestone keeps stability or faces cuts/divestment.
Key numbers
- Koch Media bought Milestone for €44.9M
- MotoGP 26 is 14th straight annual release
- Screamer launched at $59.99, Mar 2026
Named risks
- Dorna could open MotoGP license to bidders amid fan criticism of stagnation.
- Embracer's unresolved 2024-2027 split leaves Milestone's final parent entity uncertain.
- Reviewer-flagged annual-release fatigue on MotoGP franchise could erode sales.
- Screamer diversification into owned IP is commercially unproven.
- Industry-wide 2026 layoffs (Xbox 3,200 cuts) and Embracer's cost-cutting history create subsidiary exposure.
Rivals, as read in July 2026
| Rival | Direction | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| EA/Codemasters | contesting | F1 series benchmark cited by Traxion as ahead in career-mode depth, 2026-05-05 |
| Sony/Polyphony Digital | contesting | Gran Turismo cited as superior iterative model in MotoGP 26 review, 2026-04-28 |
| Microsoft/Turn 10 Studios | gaining on | Forza Motorsport development cancelled July 2025, reducing simulation-racing rivalry |
| Nintendo (Mario Kart) | contesting | Cited as arcade-racing quality benchmark in Screamer coverage, 2026-02-17 |
Questions people ask
- Is Milestone S.r.l. profitable?
- No recent standalone figures are public since Embracer's 2019 acquisition, but Milestone's profits reportedly hit €28 million by 2017 pre-acquisition, and its headcount has grown from ~200 (2019) to ~300 (2024-2026), suggesting continued profitability under Embracer/Plaion ownership.
- Could AI replace Milestone's MotoGP games?
- No. Milestone's moat is its exclusive Dorna-granted MotoGP license (held since 2013) plus MXGP, Supercross and Hot Wheels deals, which AI cannot obtain. AI is only creeping into marginal work, like the 'artificial'-sounding trailer narrator flagged in MotoGP 26's April 2026 launch.
- Who owns Milestone S.r.l.?
- Milestone is owned by Embracer Group, via Koch Media (rebranded Plaion), which acquired it on August 14, 2019 for €44.9 million when Milestone had about 200 employees. As of the May 19, 2026 restructuring plan, Milestone stays with the core retained 'Embracer' entity, not the spun-off Fellowship Entertainment.
- Is Milestone laying off employees?
- No confirmed layoffs at Milestone itself. While Embracer cut group-wide headcount from ~15,700 to ~7,900 in 2023-2024, Milestone grew from ~200 employees (2019) to 280 (2022) and 'over 300' by 2024-2026 press materials, per Milestone's own statements.
- Who is Milestone's biggest competitor?
- In licensed motorcycle racing, Milestone has no direct rival since Dorna's MotoGP license is exclusive to it since 2013. Broader competitors include EA/Codemasters (F1) and Sony's Polyphony Digital (Gran Turismo), cited by Traxion on May 5, 2026 as having deeper career-mode depth.
- Will Milestone lose the MotoGP license?
- No formal announcement of a license change has occurred as of the April 28, 2026 MotoGP 26 launch, but autoevolution's review that day noted commentator speculation that Dorna could eventually shift the license given fan criticism of stagnation and annual-release fatigue.
Timeline
- 2026-05-19Embracer restructuring keeps Milestone in core Embracer entity, not spun-off Fellowship Entertainment
- 2026-04-28MotoGP 26 launches to Generally Favorable reviews but drops ranked online mode
- 2026-03-26Screamer reboot launches on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S at $59.99
- 2025-07Forza Motorsport development cancelled at Xbox's Turn 10 Studios
- 2025-04-30MotoGP 25 launches on Unreal Engine 5 to generally positive reviews
- 2024-12-12Milestone unveils Screamer reboot with Polygon Pictures and Troy Baker
- 2024-04-29Umberto Bettini named Milestone General Manager under CEO Luisa Bixio
- 2024-04-22Embracer Group announces three-way split, initially placing Milestone elsewhere
- 2019-08-14Koch Media acquires Milestone for €44.9 million, ~200 employees
Revision history
23 July 2026
First assessed. Defensible for now. The text above is fixed as of this date and is not edited afterwards.
In the same band
Sources
- Milestone (Italian company)
- Milestone Reimagines Screamer (2024-12-12)
- MotoGP 26 review: More of the same (2026-05-05)
- MotoGP 26 Reviews (2026-04-28)
- MotoGP 26 Review (PC): Corporate Needs You to Find the Differences (2026-04-28)
- Screamer on Steam (2026-03-25)
- Screamer (2026 video game)
- Milestone Strengthens Executive Management Team (2024-04-29)
- MotoGP 25 Review (2025-04-30)
- MotoGP 26 launches with new physics | players say it feels exactly like last year (2026-04-28)
- Screamer might have too many new ideas, even for a racing game (2026-02-17)
- Embracer Group Splits Into Three (2024-04-22)