Recent research progress of rare-earth or transition metal ions doped luminescent chalcogenide (ChG) glass ceramics (GCs) was reviewed. Correlation between emission properties and microscopic distribution of rare earth ions in ChG GCs, and the underlying mechanisms of the interaction between different rare earth ions and crystal field were discussed comprehensively. Moreover, the key features of novel transition metal ions activated ChG GCs developed in the past two years were also summarized. Strong ultrabroadband of Cr2+: 1.8~2.8 μm, and Co2+: 2.5~4.5 μm mid infrared emissions were realized with careful compositional design and controlled crystallization. Our short review summarized the key issues that can influence and restrict the functionalization of ChG GCs, offering a guideline for future research direction on this topic.