Elon Musk vs. Gamers: Cheating Allegations Spark Debate

Elon Musk vs. Gamers: Cheating Allegations Spark Debate.

The billionaire holds a prominent position in time-consuming games such as Diablo IV and Path of Exile 2; however, he encounters difficulties with fundamental skills during livestreams.

Elon Musk has consistently aimed to enhance his reputation in Silicon Valley by establishing himself as a credible gamer, expressing both enthusiasm and proficiency for a medium popular among technology enthusiasts.

A few years ago, he even articulated his belief that strategy video games surpass chess in terms of complexity and engagement. However, his recent efforts to showcase his skills in digital realms have led some gamers to accuse him of dishonesty, prompting them to challenge him to validate his claims.

In a recent interview on Joe Rogan's podcast, just prior to the 2024 election, Musk, who is not only at the helm of several prominent tech enterprises but is also campaigning for Donald Trump, asserted that he ranks among the top 20 players globally in the video game Diablo IV.

While Rogan expressed admiration for this supposed achievement, it raised skepticism among others, as the dark fantasy role-playing game is known for demanding extensive hours of gameplay to develop a character and conquer challenging scenarios. This begs the question: when would he find the time to engage in such a commitment?

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It was soon revealed that the claim regarding the “top 20” ranking had been exaggerated. Musk's assertion about his skills in Diablo was based on a list maintained independently by helltides.com, rather than by Activision Blizzard, the game's developer.

This unofficial leaderboard tracks the fastest completion times for a particular “endgame” level, where Musk initially held the 19th position after defeating several formidable monsters and the final boss in an impressive time of just two minutes and 45 seconds. However, he has since fallen to the 54th position.

It is important to note that this ranking represents only one specific criterion for identifying the “best” players, and the standings were derived solely from recorded playthroughs submitted by Musk and a limited number of competitors—fewer than a thousand individuals—out of the game's more than 3 million active monthly players.

The gaming community exhibited a degree of division regarding the veracity of Musk's engagement with Diablo IV. Some individuals speculated that he may have delegated the monotonous task of "grinding," which involves enhancing a character's abilities to confront the game's most formidable challenges, allowing him to later claim the accolades once the laborious aspects were completed. Conversely, another faction considered it plausible that Musk was neglecting his other obligations in favor of extended gaming sessions.

Although Musk conveyed to Rogan that playing Diablo IV served as a means for him to disconnect—stating, "(“If I play a video game on extreme difficulty, then I have to concentrate fully on the game, and it has a calming effect,” he said) it remains entirely possible that he engages in gaming while simultaneously managing other business matters.

The discussion has drawn attention to a previous occasion where Musk attempted to demonstrate his knowledge of gaming. In 2022, he expressed enthusiasm for the fantasy RPG, Elden Ring, describing it as “the most beautiful art I have ever seen.” During that year, he disclosed his character “build,” which featured a “power mage” along with its attributes, weapons, and armor. Aside from Musk’s most devoted supporters, this build was largely mocked as indicative of a complete novice. Critics pointed out that he was equipped with unnecessary items, such as two different shields, which would render his mage excessively heavy, slow, and susceptible to enemy attacks. Furthermore, some of the equipment he selected was not suitable for a heavily armored build. Although Musk’s character had attained a relatively high level, this only perplexed Elden Ring enthusiasts, who interpreted the screenshot as evidence of his lack of understanding regarding the game’s fundamental mechanics.

Recently, Musk has stirred controversy among gamers by ascending the leaderboards of Path of Exile 2, an additional role-playing game. In this title, Musk has engaged with several "hardcore" characters, which signifies that upon the character's demise, it is permanently erased from the game. One of these characters, named “Kekius_Maximus,” achieved a world ranking of Number 59 at the time of its demise, having reached level 94.

Another character, “Percy_Verence,” is currently positioned at Number 13, boasting a level 97 status. Musk broadcasted his gameplay as Percy_Verence on January 7 via X (formerly Twitter), which led to skepticism regarding his familiarity with the game, despite the advanced level of his character.

A dedicated player of Path of Exile 2 articulated in a Reddit discussion that there were numerous signs indicating Musk's lack of understanding regarding the game, or at the very least, a deficiency in his comprehension of the gameplay mechanics necessary for advancing his character to such a high level.

He encountered difficulties with aspects of the map interface, committed fundamental yet costly errors, collected lower-tier items while neglecting more valuable ones, and seemed unaware that he could not acquire additional items when his inventory was at capacity. One participant in the discussion concluded that it was implausible for him to have achieved such progress in the game—having cleared hundreds of thousands of maps—entirely on his own. “His gear is better than a lot of full time streamers,” they wrote. “No way it is real.”

The feedback on the YouTube video of the stream was notably harsh, with numerous viewers interpreting it as evidence that Musk had delegated the laborious tasks required to attain character levels in the nineties. However, no definitive proof has emerged to substantiate this theory. “This sounds like a middle-schooler giving a book report on a book they’ve never read,” a commenter observed of Musk’s sometimes confused remarks while playing.

“I love how the usual Musk supporter can’t defend him here because they outright don’t know shit about the game,” wrote another. “This has somehow become indisputable evidence that he is a fraud.” The top reply reads: “A lifetime of taking credit for other people’s work has led to this.”

The repercussions were significant enough that on Sunday, YouTuber and Twitch streamer Asmongold explicitly charged Musk with gaining an unfair advantage by permitting another individual to access his account. “Did Elon Musk play this account to level 97?” he asked on his stream. “The answer is very simple: No. Unequivocally, without a doubt. If Elon Musk can prove that he played this account to 97, I will stream on X, starting the day that he proves it, for an entire year straight, every single stream.”

Many gamers, who had previously shown admiration for Musk, felt particularly disheartened. One user on X remarked that they “defend him most of the time” put it in a post that has received nearly 100,000 likes: “elon lost the trust of all gamers overnight. boosting your account and lying about it is the worst offense. incredibly cringe, fragile ego on full display.” Another user replied, “man i still hope this isn’t true.. I’m such a big fan of his primarily because of his integrity.”

Image by Heisenberg Media - Flickr: Elon Musk - The Summit 2013, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=31468876

Musk has not yet addressed Asmongold’s challenge, nor has he disclosed the circumstances surrounding the demise of his Percy_Verence hardcore character since the awkward livestream on January 7. Furthermore, he has not made any posts regarding Path of Exile 2 since January 9, and he did not respond promptly to our request for comment. It is possible that he is retreating from his elite gamer image due to the considerable backlash he has faced.

Regardless of Musk's actual gaming skills, it is evident that his emotional connection to the gaming world is profound. The Battle of Polytopia, a game he once deemed superior to chess, reportedly led to one of the most significant disputes he had with his former partner, Grimes, as noted by biographer Walter Isaacson. In 2021, both were deeply engaged in the game when Grimes made a sudden yet strategic choice to betray Musk after they had formed an alliance.

This prompted an explosive reaction from Musk, to which Grimes retorted that it was merely a game. “It’s a huge f*****g deal,” Musk reportedly told her, and he subsequently refused to communicate with her for the remainder of the day.

Given this attitude, coupled with Musk's tendency to aggressively confront those he views as adversaries on social media, it is likely that he will soon adopt a hostile stance towards the gaming community, which has quietly regarded him as one of their own.

Elon Musk's recent controversies in the gaming world have cast a shadow over his credibility, exposing a pattern of exaggerated claims and questionable actions. From unverified rankings in Diablo IV to fumbling basic mechanics during Path of Exile 2 livestreams, Musk’s attempts to portray himself as a top-tier gamer have been met with widespread skepticism.

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The gaming community, once a potential ally, now sees his actions as emblematic of an inflated ego and a disregard for authenticity. By seemingly prioritizing accolades over honesty, Musk risks alienating a passionate audience that values genuine skill and integrity above hollow achievements.