It's been announced today that the Social Clubs feature on Xbox One, Series X and Series S will be removed permanently in April 2026 as part of "ongoing platform updates to focus on social experiences players use most".
If you don't recall what Social Clubs are, we don't blame you to be honest! They're quite a hidden feature on Xbox consoles these days, but you can find them by going to the Friends & Community Updates app and then navigating to "Clubs on Xbox", where you'll find all kinds of user-created clubs for discussion, screenshots, artwork and various other things. There are also clubs related to websites, clubs related to specific games, and more.
Here's an example of a few Social Clubs that are said to be "top clubs" in my area right now:
Microsoft says that as of April 2026, Social Clubs will be removed entirely from the Friends & Community Updates app on Xbox consoles, and I've noticed today that you can't create a new club anymore.
Instead, the company advises Xbox users to take advantage of Xbox messages, Discord, party chat and the Looking for Group feature to "stay connected and coordinate gaming sessions" with other people.
"Starting in April 2026, 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. Players can utilize other features available like Xbox messages, Discord on Xbox, party chat, and Looking for Group to stay connected and coordinate their gaming sessions."
Nevertheless, there's one aspect of Clubs that will remain functional after April 2026, and those are the Official Clubs that are linked to specific games by their publishers. These will "remain available for developers and publishers to engage with their communities", and you can access these by pressing the Menu button on your chosen game, selecting "Game Card", and then hitting the "Go to Official Club" button.
To be honest, we haven't used Social Clubs in a very long time here at Pure Xbox, but we feel sorry for those who are part of large communities like the ones in the images above & below — we hope they still manage to keep in touch!
What are your thoughts on this? Let us know down in the comments section below.
[source support.xbox.com]
Comments 3
Probably a mix of cost cutting (less server usage, moderation) and that it wasn't widely used. I'm normally one of the first to start ringing the EVERYTHING IS DOOOOOOMED bell but this one seems like a logical closure, even if it is a pity is makes the Xbox platform a little more silent.
Wow, this is bittersweet. For one thing, I haven’t used them in a long time. For another thing, they are how I made some of my first friends on Xbox, just a few months after I got my first Xbox console in 2021, a few of which I’m still really good friends with today, so it’s understandable yet unfortunate to see that the feature is going away. But hey, at least I still have the friends I (literally) made along the way!
Edit: I wonder what will happen to the clubs in Forza Horizon. Weren’t they directly connected to this Xbox social clubs feature? (Or did I just happen to join one similar to a club I was in and not even remember?)
Xbox Announces Consoles Will Be Removed From Xbox In …
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