To understand why someone would pay thousands of dollars for a digital title, one must understand its rarity. Unlike the "Gladiator" title, which is earned by winning 50 games above a 2400 rating, the title (e.g., Crimson Legend or Obsidian Gladiator ) is unique to the specific season and is permanent. It is the ultimate status symbol, signaling to every player in the capital cities that the bearer is among the best in the world. The Mechanics of the "Buy"
The primary argument against buying Rank 1 is the erosion of . When a slot in the top 0.1% is "sold," a legitimate player who worked all season is pushed out of the cutoff. This creates a "gatekeeping" effect where professional boosters occupy multiple spots on the ladder (on their own accounts and clients' accounts), artificially inflating the rating required for honest players to compete.
The customer plays their own character while two world-class professionals "carry" them to the required rating.
Accounts suspected of boosting are stripped of their seasonal rewards.
Due to the extreme skill gap at the top of the ladder, "carrying" a sub-par player to Rank 1 is nearly impossible. Consequently, most Rank 1 sales involve "piloting," which is a direct violation of Blizzard’s End User License Agreement. The Ethics and Impact on the Ladder
