nerf

To nerf something means to make it weaker. In games, a nerf is an update that reduces the power of a weapon, character or ability. The opposite is a buff, which makes something stronger.

What does nerf mean?

Game developers constantly adjust balance. When one weapon or character is so strong that everyone uses it, a patch usually “nerfs” it: less damage, a longer cooldown, a slower reload. Players then complain that their favorite pick “got nerfed into the ground.”

The word has spread into everyday talk too. If your company cuts a perk, or a café shrinks its portions, people will say it got nerfed.

How to use it

• “They finally nerfed that sniper rifle. About time.”
• “My main got nerfed again and now he’s useless.”
• “Did they nerf the free shipping? It used to be on everything.”
• “The new patch nerfs healing and buffs tanks.”

Where it comes from

The term is named after Nerf, the brand of foam toys. Shortly after the online game Ultima Online launched in 1997, swords were weakened in a balance update, and players mocked the result by comparing them to harmless Nerf swords. One of the game’s designers has credited Ultima Online with popularizing “nerfing” across online games.

Related terms

• buff: to make something stronger
• OP: overpowered, usually the reason something gets nerfed
• meta: the most effective strategy right now
• pay-to-win: when spending money gives an unfair advantage
• git gud: what people say instead of asking for a nerf

See more terms like this in our gaming slang dictionary.