FIFA 18 features the third tier of Germany's Bundesliga, the 3. Liga. It also features the Iceland national football team, the Saudi Arabia national football team, both the men's and women's national New Zealand teams, and has again included the Turkish Super League after EA renewed its licence with them.
EA Sports have introduced Quick Subs into FIFA 18 where the player can make a substitute when the ball goes out of play. Also now in Career Mode players can watch interactive transfer negotiations happen and can also see their new signings unveiled in cut scenes.
The Journey: Hunter Returns
The story-based Journey mode that was introduced in FIFA 17 returns in this instalment and continues the narrative under the title "The Journey: Hunter Returns". If one completed the original story, they will begin FIFA 18 at the same club – with traits and honours, such as a Premier League title or FA Cup win, being carried over. As for those starting fresh, they will see a montage of key plot points in the game, then be able to select from any current English Premier League side. Alex Hunter, the 18-year-old main character from Clapham, London, returns and is fully customisable. Players can unlock items which include new clothes and hairstyles for Hunter. While FIFA 17 locked Hunter to the English Premier League and Championship, in FIFA 18 players can now experience new locations, such as Brazil and the United States. The trailer released for this game mode also shows numerous widely-known football players making an appearance such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Antoine Griezmann, Dele Alli, Thomas Müller, Gyasi Zardes, Rio Ferdinand and Thierry Henry. NBA player James Harden is also featured in the trailer and on the video game itself. Alex Morgan and Megan Rapinoe also make cameo appearances. The story mode also has new playable characters, such as Danny Williams, who is Alex Hunter's best friend, and also featuring a character new to the series, Alex Hunter's half-sister, Kim Hunter.
Story
The story begins with a TV-style 'previously on' section that recaps the key events of the first journey. Then the game cuts to Alex Hunter and his friend Danny Williams, enjoying their last day on holiday in Brazil, before they are approached by some young kids who challenge them to a football game. After returning home to England, Alex and his team are informed about a pre-season tournament in the US, before which Alex is invited to an interview with Rio Ferdinand, but later runs into his old friend and rival Gareth Walker, who says he can't believe that Alex is still with his agent Michael. Then at the tour in LA, Alex's team faces off against Real Madrid and at the end of the match, regardless of the result, Alex swaps numbers with Cristiano Ronaldo, who suggests that Alex comes and plays for Madrid, having been impressed by his play. If the player beats Real Madrid, you play against LA Galaxy, where Hunter encounters Gyasi Zardes in the tunnel before the match starts. Alex also meets his father during the tour, and begrudgingly accepts an invitation to have dinner with him. After the tour, Alex Hunter and his teammates go to Chicago where they participate in the MLS All-Star Game.
Following the first game of the new Premier League season, Michael tells Alex that none other than Real Madrid are keen on signing him. Despite it being a risky move with Alex who is still in his youth, he decides to follow his dreams, and put forward a transfer request. This causes both Alex's teammates and the fans to lose faith in his commitment to the team - even to the point of the fans booing him when he is subbed on during a game. Unfortunately, just one day before the transfer window closes, Michael reveals that he found out that the Real Madrid deal was a scam, and that they were never interested in him joining their team. While the club executive appreciates that neither Michael or Alex had any reason to believe the deal was fake, it doesn't counter the fact that Alex put a transfer request in - meaning that he wanted to leave. Alex is subsequently pulled from the senior squad and put on the youth squad. With just hours until the deadline, Michael admits that he really wanted to sign Alex with Madrid because he was falling behind in his reputation as an agent, and so he went with the deal without really thinking too much. Alex is enraged at Michael for gambling his football career for his personal gain, and the player is then given the option to forgive Michael and stay with him, or fire him due to his almost career ending mistake.
Regardless of the player's decision, Alex then gets a call from his Dad, who is now working for LA Galaxy. The team offer him a contract to play for LA, due to some injuries their strikers have suffered from. With no other option to go for, aside from training with the youth squad, Alex accepts the deal, helping the team to reach the playoffs. Shortly after he arrives in the US, a young girl recognizes him in the changing rooms. While dining out with his father, Alex learns that she is Kim Hunter - his half sister. Less than impressed with his father for not telling him about Kim, Alex storms off, but later comes to support Kim during her international debut for the US ladies against Germany. With Christmas coming around, Alex returns home to England after the season with LA ends, but gives Kim their grandfather's football for luck in her future games.
