Blizzard outlines the new Social features for StarCraft 2: Heart of the Swarm

There are some major changes coming to StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm. Thanks to a video posted to the Blizzard YouTube, we get to check out these changes firsthand.

One major change is the new User Interface. The Blizzard team set goals to simplify the navigation, increase the consistency and improve usability, being only one click away from all the various features of the game.

Chat has also been revamped and tweaked on the home screen to appear on the right side of the screen, which features chat channels you might be interested, right above Featured Groups, which are also a new part of Heart of the Swarm.

Clans and Groups will allow you to connect with individuals with similar interests with you. Clans will be smaller and invitation-only with a heavy focus on competitive play. Groups however are common interest entities which can be joined by other players with similar interests.

Another new feature allows you to play with other players on the same Network as you, and is appropriately called "Players Near You." This will be handy for students at Universities to find other players who enjoy playing the game, and help them find each other faster.

Battle.net will allow you to switch your region with Global Play. Each time you log in, you'll be able to select your region, allowing you to play StarCraft II against many players all over the world.

You can look out for StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm on March 12th.