What happened to the chat, and if it was replaced by discord can we add a normal chat for those without Discord?
Yes, it was replaced by Discord. But, I'm assuming not many people used the normal chat anymore. Well, for one thing, many people use the Discord app in general nowadays. Besides, you can just download the app, set up an account and type in the invite code (or copy and paste it) and you're set.
It kind of sucks, the Windows Phone OS does not have access to browser due to app download reroute, and cannot download the app for Discord. I'm on Holiday right now, so I'd be more active around it, alas, not possible. A very small minority don't have access to it, but that shouldn't be much of a topic of concern.