Elon Musk finds himself amid controversy once more, this time clashing with the social media account for Assassin’s Creed. His alleged misdeed? Persuading other players to enhance his performance in Path of Exile 2. Known for his enthusiasm for video games, Musk has previously shared details about his experiences with titles like Elden Ring.
The billionaire tech CEO is an avid fan of the Action Role-Playing Game (ARPG) genre, where he has openly critiqued games such as Path of Exile 2 and Diablo IV. Despite his insightful commentary, his recent remarks on Assassin’s Creed have sparked fierce backlash.
What Triggered the Assassin’s Creed Backlash?
Assassin’s Creed Shadows has been generally well-received by critics, but Elon Musk is among those voicing disdain for the title, labeling it as “terrible.”This confrontation escalated when popular streamer Grummz criticized Ubisoft for allowing HasanAbi to promote Shadows as part of a sponsorship. Musk chimed in, branding HasanAbi as a “fraud”and “sell-out,”stating:
“Objectively, he is promoting a terrible game just for the money.”
The official Assassin’s Creed X account didn’t remain silent either, retorting with a jab at Musk:
“Is that what the guy playing your Path of Exile 2 account told you?”
This statement alludes to prior controversies where Musk claimed to be a leading figure in Path of Exile 2’s Hardcore realm, only to be accused of unethical gameplay practices to achieve such a status.
Grummz defended his stance, asserting that Assassin’s Creed Shadows isn’t as successful as perceived, to which the game’s account simply responded:
“Our game is out.”
Interestingly, Grummz has been developing his own game, Em-8er, for nearly a decade, with no imminent release in sight, despite having raised significant funding and approaching its ten-year anniversary in 2026.
The Path of Exile 2 Controversy Explained
Musk has a history of engaging with the ARPG community, even urging Blizzard to prolong the Public Test Realm (PTR) during the launch of Season 7. He has shown substantial interest in Path of Exile 2, characterizing its endgame system as “Cookie Clicker, but with fancier graphics,”and suggesting that his Monk character can handle even the most challenging content effortlessly.
However, when attempting to demonstrate his skill in Path of Exile 2, Musk faltered on basic gameplay elements, such as collecting Chaos Orbs and maintaining his inventory. Veteran players, including Kripparian and Quin69, dissected his livestream, leading to a swift conclusion: Musk’s inexperience with the game’s mechanics indicated that he was not genuinely playing his character. Evidence showed that his account was likely boosted, with tracking data suggesting he would need to play nearly non-stop for success in a Hardcore environment.
The Path of Exile community values fair play deeply and responded with both criticism and a healthy dose of humor, creating memes that ridicule Musk’s gaming ethics. His prior engagement with Diablo IV’s gameplay was also revisited, questioning the authenticity of his experience.
The upcoming update for Path of Exile 2, titled Dawn of the Hunt, is scheduled for release on April 4, 2025. As for Assassin’s Creed Shadows, fans can currently enjoy the game on PC, macOS, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S, with an iPadOS version set to launch soon.