Elon Musk reveals top 20 world ranking in Diablo IV on Joe Rogan podcast

In a recent appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience, Musk shocked Rogan by revealing that he’s not just a casual player of Diablo IV, but ranked among the top 20 players globally.

For most players, Diablo IV might seem like a simple action game where heroes fight through waves of demons, but for hardcore players, it demands dedication and skill to master the leaderboards. One of the game’s ultimate challenges, the Artificer’s Pit, requires top-tier strategies and reflexes, especially at Tier 150, the current benchmark for serious players. Musk’s dedication to Diablo IV has placed him in the 19th spot on the leaderboard, with a record clear time of two minutes and 45 seconds on a community-sourced ranking site.

At the beginning of the podcast episode, Rogan asked, “So are you in the top 20 in the world?” to which Musk responded, “Yeah. They actually listed me with my actual name in the list.” Rogan was surprised that Musk, who already juggles multiple companies, could find time for gaming at such a competitive level. Musk then explained that there are only two Americans in the top 20, and he’s one of them.

For Musk, however, gaming isn’t just about the thrill of competing. He sees it as a mental escape from his high-stakes professional life. As he explained to Rogan, playing on “extreme difficulty” is a way to reset his mind and relieve stress. “When I play a video game on extreme difficulty, I have to concentrate entirely on it, and it has a calming effect,” Musk said. “I think anything that requires complete focus has a restorative effect.” In his eyes, gaming provides the same kind of mental reset that others might find in meditation or exercise.

Interestingly, Musk also drew a comparison between gaming and surgery. He suggested that the fine motor skills and concentration required for top-level gaming could translate well into a career in surgery, where similar precision is needed.

To prove his achievements, Musk shared a video of his record-breaking run on Diablo IV’s Artificer’s Pit, posting it on X via his gaming alt-account cyb3rgam3r420.