Only use for friend list would be if it could unite both Steam and MS store users under same system but it doesn’t. Steam client already provides chat, invites and online status making in game friend list not needed anyway unless they would make it so steam friend list would function in game like in CSGO for example.
You also didn’t need to add someone to friends and have them accept to whisper, you could rightclick a name in chat or in a lobby and send a whisper or you could just add someone to friends without needing to have them accept a friend request or anything to for example say you’re back or someone else in the lobby is back after the person you whispered left because someone was afk with the option of turning off whispers and invites from those who are not in your friends list.
legacy frined list was exactly the right amount to ‘‘socialize’’ and plan games together. now the friend list only works if i got the player in my list, chat him up in steam or whatever and invite him trough the list. and honestly thats simply not worth it if the whole server got like 30 hosted games, you can just scroll trough the list.