Usually in first person shooters and
RPGs, when game developers think a weapon is far too powerful, and threatens the
stability of the game, and
weakens the aspects of that power drmatically to rebalance it.
When
diablo 2 came out, everyone played either a
necromancer or a barbarian. Now necromancers is
nerfed to a point where its intolerably difficult to duel against other players without people just dodging your summoned minions and shove a axe into your face.