Image: Blizzard EntertainmentAdam Fletcher, Global Director of Community for all things Diablo at Blizzard Entertainment, has shared his thoughts about the launch of Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred on social media,

Diablo 4s first expansion, Vessel of Hatred, was delayed just hours before launch, resulting in intense fan backlash. But what really happened?

In a post on the Blizzard forums announcing the delay, Diablo community manager Adam Fletcher stated a "small technical issue" was to blame, one that needed to be resolved in order for players to start at the same time across all platforms. Blizzard is hoping to have the Diablo 4 servers back up and running this evening, Fletcher said.

Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred is about the return of the Lord of Hatred, and the first Brother among the Three Evils, Mephisto. You defeated Mephistoall the way back in Diablo II, but now a wayward adventurer named Neyrelle holds the key to either resurrecting or destroying him.

There's a slight delay in deploying the Vessel of Hatred DLC, as Blizzard has locked the Diablo 4 logins for the time being.

Diablo IV is zero for two when it comes to smooth launches. While the new expansion, Vessel of Hatred, seemed like it had all the kinks ironed out, a last-minute delay upended those plans. Worse, however,

Diablo 4's common materials are not common at all in Vessel of Hatred and it can act like a brick wall for progress.