One of the biggest stories in gaming last year was when 13-year-old Willis Gibson became the first person to ever beat the original Tetris.
Many thought the feat was impossible, as it was only ever achieved using artificial intelligence. And yet, Willis completed the surprising feat live in front of his peers, to complete surprise and widespread jubilation.
The story quickly went global and serves as a reminder of one of the best things video games offer — a sense of achievement.
No matter what you play, there’s always some objective to shoot for. Some leaderboard to fight over. Even when you complete something, you can introduce some difficulty level or challenge to further test your skill and patience.
Even games like Tetris, which many may not have known had such a competitive scene until Willis, offer players the chance to make history. You don’t have to play or even understand a game to appreciate the dedication on display or the huge joy many of these feats can bring.
So, what happens if someone decides to take a shortcut to the top? The recent drama that has engulfed the gaming community proves that sincerity and skill still (and will always) matter, no matter who you are.
Elon Musk and his path to exile
Elon Musk is no stranger to gaming. The tech mogul regularly shares his love of the industry in articles and podcasts worldwide. He even live-streams his own gameplay on social media, all the while answering questions from viewers.
More recently, Musk has spoken candidly about his prowess in gaming. On Joe Rogan’s podcast, he mentions how he’s one of the best players in Diablo IV, which requires countless hours of grinding to excel at.
While the game’s leaderboard affirmed his claims, many gamers couldn’t shake the suspicion - was Musk playing the game himself, or was someone else doing grunt work?
is @ElonMusk lying about being good at video games? pic.twitter.com/TDGb4vsgXf
— Quin (@quinrex) January 11, 2025
The crux of the latest drama stems from Musk and Path of the Exile 2, an action RPG in early access since late December. During a live stream of the game, Musk debuted an incredibly well-equipped character set on the game's most challenging difficulty.
Eyebrows were raised on how a CEO of his stature had the free time to make so much progress. Moreover, his confusion at some aspects of the game during his playthrough didn’t reflect that of someone who spent vast chunks of time playing through content.
It’s almost like someone debuting at the Olympic podium in the Gold position but not knowing what the sport is. And it didn’t take long for streamers and content creators to plant the seeds of doubt in the community.
Many took to social media asking Musk for proof that the achievements were genuine and that the accounts he plays on come from his own time and effort and not boosted by third-party services.
These 'accusations’ obviously touched a nerve with Musk, igniting very public social media spats that have gripped the gaming scene for the last few days. Private DMs have been leaked. Scathing posts are now deleted. Accounts were unfollowed, and verification badges were temporarily removed.
People from Musk’s personal life, such as ex-girlfriend Grimes, sounded in to share insights and reassure the masses of at least some of Musk’s past gaming feats. All the while, gamers readied their popcorn to see just where the debate would rage next.
Just for my personal pride, I would like to state that the father of my children was the first american druid in diablo to clear abattoir of zir and ended that season as best in the USA. He was also ranking in Polytopia, and beat Felix himself at the game. I did observe these…
— 𝖦𝗋𝗂𝗆𝖾𝗌 ⏳ (@Grimezsz) January 18, 2025
For many, Elon Musk's gaming habits might seem like a moot point. Given everything else happening in the world, are we really debating his commitment to a video game? Yes, we are. And here’s why.
Skill will always be the secret weapon in gaming.
The outrage and comedy of the past week point to larger changes in the gaming industry. It’s now cool to play games. But it’s even cooler to be the best at them – or at least, be seen to be.
Elon’s boasting about excelling at games that demand hundreds of hours may have been an attempt to curry digital street cred from the gaming community. But it didn’t take long for that bragging to lead to some honest questions.
Since so many popular games are designed to be endless, with live-service elements that force you to grind relentlessly, key gamers rightfully take their place at the top of the pecking order for their sacrifices.
They invest a lifetime of work into excelling in specific games. We watch their content to enjoy their level of commitment without the time investment. Sometimes, gamers create unique challenges that bring communities on a journey.
They might compete using unconventional controllers or impose grueling restrictions on how they play. Other times, they focus on speedrunning, completing entire games as quickly as possible for a chance at a world record or infamy.
Twitch and YouTube chats are constantly abuzz with viewers cheering, advising, or just lurking for hours. By the end of a stream, whatever achievement is made feels like a collective effort.
Thinking back to how Willis Gibson broke Tetris, I was amazed to learn that the record-breaker didn't just strike lucky in that moment. In an interview with the New York Times, he said he practiced Tetris for about 20 hours weekly. His success was grounded in hard work and dedication. His achievement elevated the Tetris scene and influenced how competitors now play.
This week proves that allegedly hiring someone to do the hard work is simply a step too far. Fans don’t want the glory of the photo finish; they want to watch everything that leads up to it.
Elon Musk’s gaming achievements seemed to celebrate one thing – Elon Musk. While he may have admitted to some of the claims in a recent interview, the drama unfolding right now proves that no matter who you are in the gaming world, if you're going to skip the hard work, people will skip the celebrations.
The views expressed here are those of the author and do not represent or reflect the views of RTÉ
