Recent revelations have stirred controversy in the gaming community as Elon Musk, the owner of X/Twitter, admitted to using account boosting services in the action RPGs Diablo 4 and Path of Exile 2. Screenshots of a private conversation between Musk and a YouTuber surfaced, showcasing Musk's admission of paying for boosts to elevate his rank in these games. Account boosting, where a player hires someone else to play their account and improve their standing, is widely considered cheating and violates the terms of service of most live service video games. Blizzard Entertainment, the developer behind Diablo 4, explicitly prohibits such activities in its end user license agreement.
Following Musk's admission, both Blizzard Entertainment and Grinding Gear Games, the developers of Path of Exile 2, have faced scrutiny over whether they will take action against Musk's accounts. Fans and players have expressed their disappointment and concern about the integrity of the games, questioning the enforcement of terms of service. On the Path of Exile forums, one player remarked, "So now billionaires can buy their way to the top of the HC ladder as a vanity project like owning a football club. Are the TOS not being enforced even when openly broken?" Another player voiced similar concerns on Battle.net, questioning if Musk's account should be banned for admitting to boosting.
When approached for comment by IGN, both Grinding Gear Games and Blizzard declined to discuss individual player account behaviors or enforcement actions. Musk has previously boasted about his gaming skills, claiming to be among the top 20 players worldwide in Diablo 4 and mentioning his high-level character in Path of Exile 2. He has described gaming as a way to "quiet my mind" and a "strange solace" during tough days.
However, Musk's gaming achievements have come under scrutiny, with some questioning how he could achieve such high levels given his extensive commitments as CEO of Tesla, SpaceX, X/Twitter, and his role as Donald Trump's efficiency tsar. Doubts intensified after a January livestream where Musk appeared to struggle with basic game mechanics in Path of Exile 2. The confirmation of account boosting came from a video by Diablo player NikoWrex, who shared a direct message conversation with Musk on X. Musk admitted to the boosting, stating it was necessary to compete with players in Asia.
In response to the backlash, musician Grimes, who shares three children with Musk, defended him on social media, citing his achievements in Diablo and other games as witnessed by her and others. However, further allegations emerged when Musk's Path of Exile 2 character was seen active during his attendance at Trump's inauguration, fueling more controversy over his gaming conduct.
