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 not believe that Alex is still with his agent Michael Taylor. 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, they 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. 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 does not 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. After reuniting with Danny, who signed up with Alex's former club when he left, Alex learns that
Atlético Madrid,
PSG, and
Bayern Munich are interested in signing him (if the player kept Michael, he signs him or if the player fired him, Alex is signed by his dad). Alex signs to one of them and when he arrives finds out that Dino, the manager of Alex's former loan club, is at his new club as well. Dino pairs Alex up with either
Thomas Muller,
Antoine Griezmann, or
Dele Alli, the player serving as Alex's strike partner. Just three games in however, Alex suffers a knee injury that sidelines him from the pitch for most of the season. At this point the game switches to Danny Williams' perspective, whose career at Alex's former club is at risk. After playing a game, the player is given the option to either play as Williams and try and save his career, or simply give it up and take control of Hunter in the next chapter. Having recovered from his injury in rehab, Alex meets up with Kim for a kick around before going back to his European team, where he finds out that Dino's job is at risk, and he may be fired if the club does not win any silverware by the season's end. If Hunter plays well and wins the league or cup final, Dino keeps his job. If not, Dino will indeed be fired and Alex helps him clean out his desk. After the season ends, Alex takes Jim over to the US to meet Kim for the first time and they dine at the restaurant. After he eats, Alex receives a call from an agent who claims to have been keeping her eye on him. She offers to make him an icon and tells him to meet up with her, leading into his appearance in
FIFA 19. == Development ==