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

Both Blizzard Entertainment and Grinding Gear Games have remained tight-lipped regarding potential account bans for Elon Musk after the X/Twitter owner reportedly admitted to engaging in account boosting, a practice considered cheating, 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 boosts in these games, sparking outrage among fans who feel this undermines the integrity of the games.

Account boosting involves one player logging into another's account to elevate their rank, which is explicitly prohibited by most live service video game terms of service, including Blizzard's end-user license agreement. Following Musk's admission, both developers have faced scrutiny over their enforcement policies, yet neither has provided a statement on whether they will take action against Musk's accounts.

On forums like the official Path of Exile platform, players have expressed their disappointment and concern over the apparent lack of enforcement. One user questioned the credibility of real money trading (RMT) enforcement, stating, "I'm not trying to shitpost or troll with this, I'm just extremely disappointed that GGG isn't getting out the ban hammer." Similarly, on Battle.net, players have asked whether boosting is against the rules and if Musk's account should face consequences.

Despite requests for comment, Grinding Gear Games and Blizzard have declined to discuss individual player account behaviors or enforcement actions. Musk, who has boasted about his gaming skills in interviews, including claiming to be among the top 20 players in Diablo 4, admitted to using boosts to keep up with players in Asia. This admission came after scrutiny over his gaming performance and time commitment, given his roles at Tesla, SpaceX, X/Twitter, and as Donald Trump's efficiency tsar.

Further controversy arose when Musk's Path of Exile 2 character was active during his attendance at Trump's inauguration, fueling more allegations of cheating. Despite these issues, Musk has defended his actions, suggesting that top accounts often require multiple players to compete in leveling races. In his defense, musician Grimes, who shares three children with Musk, vouched for his gaming achievements, asserting that she witnessed his accomplishments firsthand.