The career mode in EA FC 26 is set to become a bit more realistic again. A new feature will bring more unpredictability to your daily life as a manager. We present the new feature to you and tell you what to expect.

What is this new feature? It refers to unexpected events that were announced as a new feature in the career deep dive for FC 26. There are 40 events that may surprise you throughout the season.

They can, for example, affect the fitness of your team, the mentality of the players, or the financial situation of your club. Some may have short-term impacts on the next match day. Other events might concern you for the long term.

What does the new feature mean for the career mode? The unexpected events are designed to provide even more realism and variety in your career. Like in real life, they are meant to imitate coincidences that you cannot plan for in advance, and you must either react quickly or make a thoughtful decision for the future of the club.

This is how EA aims to ensure that the excitement within a season and even after several career years remains intact.

Which unexpected events are already known can be seen after the deep dive trailer for the career mode.

Unexpected events and their consequences for your career

What unexpected events are there in the career mode? In the trailer and the related pitch notes on ea.com for the career deep dive, the first 11 unexpected events and their effects have already been hinted at.

Some have an immediate impact on your stars and the next match day. You will need to react spontaneously to these events, but you cannot influence them.

• Dangerous food: Some players may be affected by food poisoning before the next match. You need to check which professionals are available before the match day.
• Travel mishaps: The team arrives late at the venue due to traffic problems. Some players are therefore not prepared for the game.
• Hotel chaos: Players could not sleep properly due to fireworks. They look tired and you must decide if they are fit enough for the next match.
• Injuries from the international break: Players may get injured while playing for their national team and will not be available to you for an indefinite period.

What other unexpected events are there? Some surprises can also have long-term consequences on the financial situation, squad structure, target goals, and/or the mentality of the players. For these unexpected events, you will need to weigh your actions and make targeted decisions for the future of your club.

• New club owners: A change in leadership at the club can give the club a new philosophy. This could affect the transfer budget, mentality of the players, or target goals.
• Fan support: The fans of your club assure you of strong financial support for the next season. The transfer budget for new acquisitions will be larger.
• Budget disruption: A problem with the bank minimizes your transfer budget by an amount. As long as the problem is not solved, you will have to manage with a smaller budget.
• Inside documentary: A camera crew wants to take a behind-the-scenes look and catch insider glimpses from the locker room or team meetings. This could increase your reputation and visibility. However, some players may feel pressured.
• Salary revelations: Published insights into the salary structures of your club could negatively influence the mentality of some players. Some players may insist on a higher salary during contract negotiations.
• Farewell announcements: Players may publicly express their desire to leave. You must decide whether to convince the departing player to stay or let him go for an appropriate offer.
• Homesickness: Players may develop nostalgia for their homeland. This affects the mentality of the players. You must decide how to handle the professional.

How unexpected events work in the career

How do unexpected events occur? The timing of the events is completely left to chance. They suddenly appear in the manager board between the simulated match days or press conferences.

In an interview on YouTube with the person responsible for the career mode, Andreas Wilsdorf, career expert and streamer Bernhard “DerHansus” Schweiger asked his conversation partner how multiple serious negative events can follow in succession. Wilsdorf then emphasized that care was taken not to let a serious negative event follow another. They try to maintain a balance here.

Can you somehow influence the occurrence of unexpected events? Yes, in the settings for the career mode you can determine how often you will encounter unexpected events during a season. You can choose between:

• Low (2–3 events)
• Medium (4–6 events)
• High (up to 10 events)

If you really don’t want any surprises, you can also completely disable the new feature in the settings.

What do you think of the new feature? Will you be surprised by unexpected events? Feel free to share your opinion in the comments. Another innovation that also affects the career mode is the new gameplay approach: EA FC 26 shows in the first gameplay: Only offline will fans be offered more realism