Microsoft Revamps Xbox Social Features with Return of Friend Requests

In recent times, Microsoft has been reevaluating its approach to social interactions within its gaming community. When the Xbox One was first introduced in 2013, players experienced various issues, leading the company to make significant adjustments. Among those changes was the overhaul of familiar features, including the friend system that many had grown accustomed to on Xbox Live. As a result, gamers found themselves in a landscape where following others became the standard while traditional friend connections became less prominent.

As followers became the new norm, the difficulty in discerning whether someone wished to engage in a friendship added to the frustration of many users. Improvements have certainly been made over the years, yet the experience has remained less user-friendly compared to the Xbox 360 era. In light of ongoing feedback from the community, Microsoft has chosen to reintroduce a more familiar structure to its social features.

Through a recent update on Xbox Wire, the company has announced the reintroduction of friend requests. Players can now send, accept, or remove friend requests with ease, facilitating more seamless connections with others. This updated system emphasizes mutual agreements, allowing participants to possess enhanced authority over their social interactions on the platform.

At this stage, the friend request feature is limited to participants in the Insider program. However, once the testing phase concludes, Microsoft typically aims to roll out such features to the broader public within a few months. The gaming community is hopeful for a smoother experience in finding friends and enjoying multiplayer games on Xbox soon.