Discord cuts back on game launcher features to refocus on ‘core chat experience’

After solidifying its position as the most popular gaming-oriented chat app, Discord also tried its hand at being a games store and a universal games launcher. Now, Discord is dialling back on some of those ambitions, looking to cut out anything that makes the app “too bulky” or takes away from the core chat experience.

In an announcement posted this week, Discord announced that the Activity Feed would be going away and will instead be replaced by a new feature called ‘Channel Following'. Now instead of having a separate feed for updates and other bits of info, you can follow verified partnered servers and have important announcements shared in your own server. There is also more control and customisation on what you receive updates for and who you get them from.

There is also an ‘Active Now' segment as part of the Discord friend's list view, allowing you to see who is doing what and which server they are currently active in.  Finally, the Universal Game Launcher and library tabs are also being removed:

“Improving also means removing features that our users aren’t finding useful, like the UGL and Library tab. We’re removing both of these to keep your Discord experience fast and clean. If you have bought or will buy a game from Discord, your games will always be accessible. The Library tab will stay for you, and you’ll have the option to disable it from User Settings”.

KitGuru Says: Discord is no longer an all-encompassing games platform and will instead re-focus on the core of what made the app great. Did many of you use any of the now defunct features? Is removing them the right move?

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