Apple delaying FaceTime Group chat feature for later this fall
Monday, August 13, 2018 at 7:49PM 
The much heralded FaceTime Group chat feature, which promises a group chat with up to 32 people simultaneously will not be inclided in iOS 12 when that OS rolls out in a few months. Apple made the statement today saying “Group FaceTime has been removed from the initial release of iOS 12 and will ship in a future software update later this fall,” Apple notes in the release notes for iOS 12 Beta 7, which is heading out to private beta testers today."
It's not uncommon for companies to highlight hot new features to help drive developer and user interest and then shelve the feature when it looks like it won't be ready for shipping time. Many peer-to-peer chat applications offer similar group chat functionality which makes sense in a desktop environment but looks very busy on a smartphone.
Source: Thurrott.com