In a recent controversy, both Blizzard Entertainment and Grinding Gear Games have remained tight-lipped about whether they will ban the accounts of Elon Musk, the owner of X/Twitter, after he reportedly admitted to engaging in account boosting in the action RPGs Diablo 4 and Path of Exile 2. Screenshots of a private conversation between Musk and a YouTuber revealed his confession of paying for account boosting, a practice that violates the terms of service of most live service video games. Blizzard's end user license agreement explicitly prohibits account boosting or power-leveling for payment.
Following Musk's admission, the gaming community has expressed outrage and concern over the integrity of these games. A Path of Exile player voiced their disappointment on the game's official forum, questioning the enforcement of the terms of service and the credibility of real money trading (RMT) enforcement. Similarly, on Battle.net, players have called for equal treatment under the rules, questioning why Musk's account should not face consequences for openly admitting to cheating.
When approached by IGN for comment, both Grinding Gear Games and Blizzard declined to discuss individual player account behaviors or enforcements. Musk, who has previously bragged about his gaming achievements, including claiming to be among the top 20 players in Diablo 4, admitted to account boosting as a means to compete with players in Asia. He justified his actions by stating, "It's impossible to beat the players in Asia if you don't, as they do!"
Musk's gaming prowess has come under scrutiny, with some questioning how he could achieve high levels in both games given his demanding roles at Tesla, SpaceX, X/Twitter, and as Donald Trump's efficiency tsar. A January livestream further fueled doubts when Musk appeared to lack a basic understanding of Path of Exile 2's mechanics.
The controversy escalated when Musk's Path of Exile 2 character was seen active during his attendance at Trump's inauguration, leading to further allegations of cheating. In defense of Musk, musician Grimes, who shares three children with him, attested to his gaming achievements, claiming to have witnessed his accomplishments firsthand.
As the gaming community awaits a response from Blizzard and Grinding Gear Games, the incident raises significant questions about fairness, the enforcement of game rules, and the impact of celebrity involvement in competitive gaming.
