To be clear, this won’t affect official clubs that the developers use to showcase game updates and the like, only the player-created clubs, so you’ll still be able to access easy-to-digest information about the best Xbox games on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One. A specific removal date has yet to be announced.
According to the new Social Club FAQ on Xbox’s website, “…social clubs on Xbox will no longer be available, and the Clubs on the Xbox tab will be removed from the Friends and Community Updates app.” After social clubs have been removed, you’ll need to use other features like Discord, Xbox messaging, party chat, and Looking for Group to keep in touch with a game’s community.
As for the reasoning behind the service’s removal, Microsoft stated: “This update is part of ongoing platform updates to focus on the social experiences players use most today.”
While it’s certainly sad to see another feature removed from Xbox, I’m not sure how popular it has been with the community. I know I haven’t really used it, other than joining the official TrueAchievements Forza Horizon 5 club when the game first launched, so I could collect the Forza Horizon 5 achievements with the [TRUE] tag next to my name.
How about you? Do you use Social Clubs on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One to feel part of the community? Perhaps you’ve enjoyed seeing the community posts when titles leave our list of upcoming Game Pass games? Let us know how you feel about this news below!