Wed like to address some of the ongoing concerns from the Diablo® III community since the game went live last week, and go into more detail about how we plan to tackle some of the lingering post-launch issues so players can focus on what they want to be focused on -- playing Diablo III.
Hotfixes, Upcoming Patch, and Ongoing Issues
Since the games launch, weve applied a number of hotfixes to address gameplay issues, made tweaks to improve our service stability, and performed occasional server maintenance when necessary to ensure that in the long term, players have the best gameplay experience possible. Moving forward, additional server maintenances will be required -- and sometime next week, we plan to release a game update in the form of a patch that will further address client issues and apply additional bug fixes.
We also wanted to let you know that were still looking into the best way to address the achievements that some players lost in the hours following the games release. While we dont have any concrete details to share with you just yet, we will have more information to share in the weeks ahead. We appreciate everyones patience as we work to improve stability and usability for all players.
Real-Money Auction House Coming Soon
In light of the post-launch obstacles weve encountered, we have made the decision to move the launch of the real-money auction house beyond the previously estimated May time frame. As we mentioned in our original announcement, our goal has always been to ensure everyone has the smoothest experience possible when the real-money auction house launches, and we need a bit more time to iron out the existing general stability and gameplay issues before that feature goes live. While we dont have a new launch date to share just yet, well have more information soon.
Battle.net®/Diablo III Security Concerns
Over the past couple of days, players have expressed concerns over the possibility of Battle.net® account compromises. First and foremost, we want to make it clear that the Battle.net and Diablo III servers have not been compromised. In addition, the number of Diablo III players whove contacted customer service to report a potential compromise of their personal account has been extremely small. In all of the individual Diablo III-related compromise cases weve investigated, none have occurred after a physical Battle.net Authenticator or Battle.net Mobile Authenticator app was attached to the players account, and we have yet to find any situation where a Diablo III player's account was accessed outside of traditional compromise methods (i.e. someone logging using an account's login email and password).
To that end, weve also seen discussions regarding the possibility of account compromises occurring in ways that didnt involve these traditional methods -- for example, by session spoofing a players identity after he or she joins a public game. Regarding this specific example, weve looked into the issue and found no evidence to indicate compromises are occurring in this fashion, and weve determined the methods being suggested to do so are technically impossible. However, you have our assurance that well continue to investigate reports such as these and keep you informed of important updates.
The best defense against account theft still includes smart password management (e.g. using a unique password for every site/service and keeping your password to yourself) and scanning for malware and viruses regularly, as well as following additional preventative steps found here. In the end, while no security method is 100% foolproof, the physical Battle.net Authenticator and Battle.net Mobile Authenticator app are great ways to provide your account with an extra layer of protection.
We hope this update has addressed some of the concerns youve had. In the end, we simply want all of our players to be able to fully enjoy Diablo III, and weve been working around the clock to address issues as quickly and efficiently as possible. We appreciate your continued support and enthusiasm, and we hope you and your friends are having a blast slaying Sanctuarys demons.