Elon Musk's account boosting sparks ban concerns in Diablo 4, PoE 2

Elon Musk's alleged cheating in Diablo 4 and Path of Exile 2 has sparked controversy, with fans questioning the integrity of the games and the response of developers Blizzard Entertainment and Grinding Gear Games. Screenshots of a private conversation revealed Musk's admission to paying for account boosting, a violation of both games' terms of service.

Account boosting, where players pay others to level up their accounts, is a clear breach of rules. Blizzard's EULA explicitly prohibits this practice. Despite this, and following public outcry, both Blizzard and Grinding Gear Games have refused to comment on whether they will ban Musk's accounts.

Players expressed outrage on official forums, questioning the fairness of the game and the apparent lack of enforcement of terms of service, especially concerning a high-profile individual like Musk. Concerns were raised about the precedent this sets, suggesting that wealthy individuals can circumvent rules.

While Musk previously boasted about his gaming skills, including a claim of being among the top Diablo 4 players globally, his gameplay and understanding of game mechanics have been criticized. A livestream further fueled suspicions of account boosting.

A direct message conversation between Musk and YouTuber NikoWrex confirmed Musk's use of account boosting, justifying it as necessary to compete with Asian players. He clarified that while his streamed gameplay was genuine, his high-level character achievements were not solely his own. Musk's former partner, Grimes, offered a defense, claiming to have witnessed his gaming prowess in other titles.

Further allegations emerged when Musk's Path of Exile 2 character appeared online while he was attending Trump's inauguration in Washington, adding fuel to the fire. The lack of response from Blizzard and Grinding Gear Games continues to fuel the debate surrounding fairness and the enforcement of rules in online gaming.