Nerf Archives

AppWizard

April 19, 2026

Marathon’s most popular shotgun is getting nerfed a second time, as Bungie worries it is ‘eclipsing a lot of the other short range options that exist in the game’

The WSTR shotgun is a popular weapon in the game Marathon, known for its effectiveness in close-quarters combat despite a recent nerf that reduced its range. A forthcoming update will change its capabilities, ensuring players with blue shields can no longer be taken down in two shots, while it will still down players with green shields in two shots. This aims to encourage more tactical gameplay. The game is also experimenting with sponsored kits that limit players to a free loadout and has introduced Mercy Kits, which players often use to eliminate opponents instead of reviving them.

AppWizard

April 8, 2026

Dota 2 patch 7.41b puts a stop to Meepo’s reign of terror as Valve locks in its new meta

Dota 2 patch 7.41b introduces several significant changes following the removal of Facets. Key adjustments include a nerf to Meepo, affecting his maximum health and mana bonuses, and increasing the cooldown for Megameepo to 90 seconds. Other notable nerfs target Doom, Tidehunter, and Ember Spirit, with reductions in damage and scaling abilities. Conversely, heroes like Timbersaw, Invoker, Broodmother, and Chaos Knight receive buffs, enhancing their abilities and scaling. Drow Ranger's starting agility has increased, but her Marksmanship ability can now be disabled nearby. Nyx Assassin experiences a reduction in Vendetta's duration but gains immunity from true sight from the Book of the Dead. The full patch notes are available from Valve.

AppWizard

April 4, 2026

New Crimson Desert patch brings a huge storage upgrade, but waves goodbye to its best flight trick

The latest update for Crimson Desert, version 1.02.00, introduces significant enhancements based on community feedback. Key features include: - Inventory expansion, allowing private storage to grow from 240 slots to 1,000 with five possible expansions. - Improved movement controls with the option to toggle between new 'basic' controls and classic settings, along with enhanced fast travel capabilities. - A headgear visibility toggle for character customization, with future updates promising additional options for hiding weapons. - Balancing adjustments, including a nerf to a popular flight trick, while maintaining the ability to activate flight mid-air. - New features such as a fresh armor set for cats, clearer visibility for explosive barrels, and a reorganized save/load menu for better user experience. - Graphical improvements addressing foliage display and screen flickering, alongside fixes for crashes and localization errors. The update is available on Steam, the Epic Games Store, and the Mac App Store.

AppWizard

April 4, 2026

Bungie brings the nerf hammer down on Marathon’s problematic ‘rich get richer’ gun

Bungie is addressing concerns about the Marathon Biotoxic Disinjector, a powerful weapon that combines a trace rifle and grenade launcher, which has been criticized for creating an uneven playing field in the game. The weapon is particularly effective in close-quarters combat, capable of nearly eliminating opponents with a single grenade hit. Game director Joe Ziegler acknowledged its overpowering nature and announced a 35% damage reduction as a temporary nerf, with plans for further balance adjustments. The weapon's exclusivity, available only to players who excel in challenging encounters, exacerbates the advantage for those who possess it. Prominent community figures have expressed concerns that the weapon could deter players from engaging with the game. Other content creators have noted its overwhelming effectiveness, with suggestions for additional measures to level the playing field, such as disabling the weapon in certain game modes.

AppWizard

April 4, 2026

Rust’s Spring Clean update nerfs the shield meta and boosts early game energy

The Rust April update introduces several enhancements, including the new Water Wheel, a renewable energy source that generates up to 30 power when placed in a river. The update features a new craftable item, the Armored Ladder Hatch, which requires 60 Scrap, 35 High-Quality Metal, six Gears, and a Wooden Ladder. Adjustments to shield mechanics have been made, reducing the hitbox size when the shield is not actively held. A tech-tree unlock chaining feature allows players to unlock an entire research path at once if they have enough Scrap. A new radial menu for low-light solutions enables individual control of light sources. Fishing mechanics have been adjusted to prevent overfishing, with server admins able to modify this feature. Additional updates include new colored buttons, improved UI elements, and a transition to a new terrain rendering system for better CPU performance. The update coincides with an Easter Egg Hunt event running until April 16, featuring themed cosmetics.

AppWizard

March 23, 2026

Mega Crit responds to the panic over Slay the Spire 2’s 1st balance pass, saying these changes are ‘the first of many’: ‘No change is necessarily permanent’

Slay the Spire 2 has experienced financial success and positive player feedback, but recent balance changes led to negative reviews on Steam. The controversy centered around the card Prepared, which was changed to Prepare in a beta patch, altering its cost and functionality. Mega Crit acknowledged community concerns and emphasized the importance of player feedback in their patching process. They stated that the beta branch is for testing experimental changes and that adjustments are based on player input, metrics, and design philosophies. The studio remains optimistic about future changes, indicating that nothing is permanent at this stage of development.

AppWizard

March 1, 2026

After its disastrous launch last year, I’m here to tell you that 2025’s most promising auto-battler finally lives up to its potential

The Bazaar is an auto-battler game released in March of the previous year, which faced backlash due to its monetization strategies and microtransactions. The game features a whimsical galactic marketplace where players select heroes and acquire items to enhance their boards. Players engage in automatic battles, refining their strategies with various item synergies, such as assembling teams of aquatic and robotic creatures. The current meta favors weapon builds, and players enjoy the randomness of hero selection and item discovery. Developer Tempo has made significant improvements, addressing community concerns, refining the monetization model, and introducing ranked matchmaking to enhance the experience for both newcomers and seasoned players.

AppWizard

January 3, 2026

New Path of Exile 2 patch notes nerf the ARPG’s game-breaking temples, but GGG might have gone too far

New patch notes for Path of Exile 2, specifically the 0.4.0c hotfix 13, aim to address the dominance of certain Vaal Temple layouts by introducing changes to room modifiers and restricting the locking of anything below tier three. The update includes diminishing returns on modifier values for room types after four or more of a specific type are used, primarily affecting lower-tier rooms. This change is intended to improve server performance and reduce the potential of high-value temple layouts, which previously generated hundreds of Divine Orbs per run, now averaging around 20. The rooms associated with Golem Works and Spymaster have been swapped to encourage variety in temple setups. Additionally, the use of Juatalotli's Medallion is restricted to tier-three rooms, leading to backlash from players who feel disadvantaged by this change. The patch is now live, and while it aims to mitigate top-end currency drops and curb inflation, it may disproportionately affect average players.

AppWizard

October 24, 2025

Don’t panic, the new Borderlands 4 update’s boss farming nerf was an accident and Gearbox is reversing it

The Borderlands 4 patch notes have been released alongside the Horrors of Kairos Halloween event, addressing unintended interactions that caused excessive damage scaling and boss-melting builds. A change that hindered players' ability to speed-farm bosses for loot was confirmed as unintentional and will be reverted. The vendor trick for resetting character skill cooldowns has been disrupted but will be reinstated. Several character abilities, such as Vex's Bloodletter passive and Harlowe's Neutron Capture, have been adjusted, with some effects being significantly reduced. The cost of specialization respects has decreased from 5,000 Eridium to 1,500, and improvements have been made to the Lost Loot machine's logic. New Shift codes for Borderlands 4 are available for players to collect Golden Keys.

AppWizard

October 19, 2025

4X newcomer Endless Legend 2 has already won my heart, and now Amplitude is tackling its most terrifying problem

Amplitude Studios has released its first major update for Endless Legend 2, addressing key gameplay challenges after players logged over 1,000,000 hours since launch. The update includes adjustments to diplomacy, enemy AI, turn order, and the user interface, as well as a nerf to Doomwraiths, which will now have their negative effects capped at 50% after ten turns. Players will gain access to 'Bait Doomwraith' and 'Close Rift' actions by default, with costs varying based on distance. AI improvements will lead to smarter army compositions and better resource management. A new setting, 'Always show empire statuses,' will enhance turn mechanics without reverting to traditional waits. The user interface will be reworked for better usability, and future updates will focus on multiplayer functionality and diplomacy system overhauls. Adjustments to victory conditions are also planned to improve endgame pacing. The game currently holds an 86% positive rating on Steam, and community engagement is encouraged through a contest to design a new minor faction.