Xbox One Clubs And Looking For Group Features Hit Preview Program
Xbox One Preview Program members can now check out the new Clubs and Looking For Group features for Xbox LIVE. Microsoft rolled out the new features to the console Tuesday, and if they take off, these could be game changers in terms of bringing gamers together. Also, emojis arrive on the Xbox One.
The Clubs and Looking for Group features are rolling out for Xbox One Preview Program members now. Microsoft is pushing it out in waves, for now, so be on the lookout for a 4GB update if you haven’t received one yet.
These features are currently only available for the Xbox, but they will be added to the Xbox App for Windows 10 and mobile devices soon.
Clubs
Xbox One owners currently in the Preview Program will be able to create and join Clubs for different games and interests. These are gamer-run communities that can be set for everyone to join as a Public Club, just a select few as a Private Club, or go ultra-exclusive with an invite only Hidden Club.
Clubs can be created or found from the Friends tab from the left navigation menu or in the Communities tab on the main screen.
“As a Club member, you’ll be able to set up parties, play games, share content, and easily communicate using voice and text chat with the Club across Xbox One and the Xbox app,” Xbox Partner Group Program Manager Scott Henson explained on Xbox Wire. “You can search for Clubs (or create your own) in the Community tab on Xbox One and the Clubs section on other devices, and Clubs associated with a game will be accessible in the title’s Game Hub. As a Club admin, you’ll have the tools to ensure that everyone is having a great time and help create a lively and inclusive environment.”
Club names must be unique, and they are already being reserved now by those in the Preview Program. This is still in a preview state, and more features are coming. However, users cannot currently rename Clubs, change Club access levels (public, private, hidden), and cannot delete a club, so make sure the Club name and access level are correct before creating a new club.
Some Clubs already created include a general Xbox club along with one for Preview Program Members and many more.
Looking for Groups
The Looking for Group (LFG) has the potential to be a huge missing component for games like Destiny. Players have to depend on third-party sites such as the100 and DestinyLFG to find people to take on activities from the Raid to Iron Banner. Putting this on the console makes it more convenient and gives Destiny fans something they’ve begged Bungie to include in the title since it first launched two years ago.
LFG can be accessed from the Party tab in the left navigation menu. The most recent Xbox One games played will be listed for you to choose from. Users can then add tags they create themselves or preset tags such as “Mic Required” for communications and “Competitive” or “Achievement Hunting” for playstyle.
Tags can even be setup based on Achievements for the selected games. This way, players can get together to complete certain Achievements.
Other Xbox One users can then browse and search LFGs through a specific game hub for the title they want to play. Selecting a LFG submission will let the owner know and they can invite everyone that shown interest in the LFG session.
Other Updates
The Gamerscore Leaderboard for the Xbox One and Xbox App is being updated once again. The leaderboard will not be reset on the first of each month, instead using a 30-day rolling period.
Additionally, emojis are now officially part of the Xbox One virtual keyboard. Users will be able to add smiles, winks, thumbs up, and more to their messages and posts on Xbox LIVE.
The promised Arena tournament feature is still to come in a future update. Additionally, Microsoft is now talking about adding Achievement Rarity down the line.
[Image via Xbox]
