Diablo 4, Path of Exile 2 Devs Silent on Elon Musk Ban for Account Boosting

Elon Musk's recent admission of using account boosting services in the action RPGs Diablo 4 and Path of Exile 2 has sparked controversy and raised questions about the integrity of these games. Screenshots from a private conversation between Musk and a YouTuber revealed that the billionaire had paid for boosts, a practice that directly violates the terms of service of most live service video games, including those set by Blizzard Entertainment and Grinding Gear Games.

Account boosting, where a player pays another to log into their account and elevate their rank, is explicitly prohibited under Blizzard's end user license agreement. Despite Musk's public confession, both Blizzard and Grinding Gear Games have declined to comment on whether they will enforce their rules and ban Musk's accounts. This silence has led to frustration among the gaming communities of both titles, with players expressing concerns over fairness and the enforcement of game policies.

On forums and social media platforms, players have voiced their disappointment and questioned the credibility of the developers' commitment to maintaining a level playing field. "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?" one Path of Exile player posted. Similarly, on Battle.net, another player questioned, "Is boosting against the rules? If it is, then shouldn’t Elon Musk’s account get banned since he flat out admitted that he boosts his account?"

Musk, who has previously boasted about his gaming achievements, including claiming a top 20 ranking in Diablo 4 and having a hardcore level 97 character in Path of Exile 2, uses gaming as a way to "quiet my mind," according to his own statements. However, his gaming skills have come under scrutiny, especially after an early January livestream where he appeared to lack a basic understanding of Path of Exile 2's mechanics.

The controversy deepened when Musk admitted to NikoWrex, a Diablo player, that he resorted to account boosting because "it’s impossible to beat the players in Asia if you don’t, as they do!" Despite this, Musk clarified that any public gameplay videos or streams were genuinely his own efforts, and he never claimed credit for the high-level characters achieved through boosting.

In Musk's defense, musician Grimes, who shares three children with him, highlighted his gaming achievements, stating he was the first American druid in Diablo to clear a challenging level and ranked highly in other games. However, new allegations emerged when Musk's Path of Exile 2 character was active during his attendance at Donald Trump's inauguration, further fueling the debate over his gaming conduct.