Elon Musk's admission to paying for account boosting in Diablo IV and Path of Exile 2 has sparked controversy, with fans questioning the integrity of the games and demanding action from developers Blizzard Entertainment and Grinding Gear Games. Screenshots of a private conversation reveal Musk's confession to using account boosting, a violation of both games' terms of service that involves paying others to level up accounts.
Account boosting, or power-leveling, is explicitly prohibited in Blizzard's end-user license agreement. Following the revelation, online forums erupted with players demanding that Musk's accounts be banned. Posts on the official Path of Exile forum and Battle.net expressed disappointment at the apparent lack of enforcement, questioning whether the developers would apply their terms of service equally to all players regardless of wealth or fame.
Both Grinding Gear Games and Blizzard Entertainment declined to comment on individual player accounts or enforcement actions when contacted by IGN. Musk, who previously boasted about his high rankings in both games, claimed account boosting was necessary to compete with Asian players. He clarified that while he streams and posts gameplay videos, these are solely his own efforts. However, his claims of gaming prowess have been met with skepticism, particularly given his demanding schedule leading Tesla, SpaceX, X/Twitter, and his recent appointment as an advisor to Donald Trump. Critics pointed to a January livestream where Musk struggled with basic game mechanics, fueling suspicions of account boosting.
A video released by Diablo player NikoWrex showcased the direct message exchange with Musk confirming the account boosting. Musk’s ex-partner, Grimes, defended him on Twitter, claiming to have witnessed his gaming skill firsthand, though this assertion has been met with mixed reactions. Further allegations surfaced suggesting Musk's Path of Exile 2 character was active while he attended Trump's inauguration in Washington, adding fuel to the ongoing debate. The incident raises significant questions about fairness and the enforcement of terms of service in online games.
