With patch 2.0.1 on the horizon for Blizzard's action RPG Diablo 3, the developer has taken to their official blog to reveal a bit more on two of the bigger additions to their first expansion, Reaper of Souls.

Alongside the new classes, removal of auction house and range of other features, the new expansion will see an introduction to clans and communities, with the major difference between the two being scale:

"With a member limit of 120 players, clans are intended to be smaller and invitation only," Blizzard reports. "This means that while you can send a request to join a clan, you will not technically become a member unless you are invited or your request to join the clan is accepted. Also, while anyone can create or join a clan, you can only be a member of one clan at any given time."

In contrast to the small clan-sized player limits, Blizzard's communities social feature expands to a larger scale, inclusive of a specific category and language. Blizzard mentions a selection of categories for communities, including regions, companies, and player classes, among presumably many others.

Communities are designed to be a place where players can come together for any number of reasons, including playing the same class, frequenting the same fan sites, or living in the same geographical area. They're all about fostering relationships between like-minded people, with a keen focus on socialization.

Unlike Clans, Communities are intended to be much larger and more casual. They can be public or private, for example, and support a nearly unlimited number of members. In addition, while you can only join a single Clan, you can be a member of multiple different Communities at the same time.

It's recommended to check out the full blog post for a thorough rundown on what to expect, including glimpses of UI changes in action. One thing is for sure in that these new social features will definitely help create a more socially-orientated community, and enable those wanting to group up with friends an even easier way to do so.

Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls will be available come March 25th for Windows and Mac.