Warframe wants to nerf slam attacks, the lesser-known easy mode, in a post-Techrot Encore update

Modified Mar 18, 2025 04:21 IST

warframe slam nerf incoming — We are no longer welcome to the jam (Image via Sportskeeda || Digital Extremes)

If you've been playing endgame Warframe content lately, you've most likely noticed some players spamming slam to clear out multiple rooms in one go. Slam attacks are a particular niche of melee that got drip-fed with buffs over the last two years. As a result, it's currently the secret "easy mode" to coast through everything — even Steel Path content scaling up to four-digit levels if your slammer is busted enough.

Now that slam-jammers are beginning to penetrate the popular crowd-clearing meta, Warframe devs are thinking about dropping the nerf-hammer on them.

Warframe Design Director finds the slam-spam unhealthy for a co-op environment

Suffices to say the fate of slam is sealed (Image via BlueSky)

Digital Extremes' current stance on hammer-slam builds was discovered in a recent BlueSky post from Design Director Pablo Alonso about Titania's Razorflies, of all things. Razorflies are getting nerfed out of the blue in Techrot Encore, as Diwata mods will no longer affect their damage. To offset this, Razorflies will be immortal and stick a damage vulnerability debuff on affected enemies.

However, to answer a question about the baffling nerf of some set mods, Pablo clarified the principle behind this: they are planning to get rid of the idea of stat-sticks altogether. In a follow-up, he explained that "lots of players complain about the constant spam" with slam builds.

This ticks at least two of three checkboxes when it comes to the laws of nerfing in Warframe: slams can be considered disruptive to other players based on the complaint, and it sure is hard-hitting enough to help you autopilot through the game. Now that they're starting to enter the mainstream meta, Digital Extremes may want to nip the problem in the bud.

Height will likely be a big factor for Warframe's slam builds after a possible nerf this year

Slams might be overtuned in Warframe right now, but the general state of melee is so-so. Not many prefer swinging the regular broadsword as a meta melee option in late-game content. It's restricted to either pseudo-ranged like Glaives or contagion Zaws, or weapons with convenience gimmicks like Incarnon Dual Ichor, or indeed the hammers for the slam.

This is why a direct nerf would be counterproductive. The possible route the developers mentioned is "range scaling with height", which would still keep its damage while taking away the reason players complain about slam-spamming teammates.

We can see some problems with implementing this hypothetical change into functional builds, though. Currently, only a few of the closed-door Warframe tilesets, such as Orokin ships in the Void, have enough space to gain height without clipping through the ceiling and getting your position reset. We must wait to see how the developers thread the needle with this one.

Goodbye, Incarnon Magistar

Goodbye, old friend (Image via Sportskeeda || Digital Extremes)

Meanwhile, news of this nerf might particularly affect one particular corner of the game: the Riven market. There is already an impending Melee Riven bubble pop with Techrot Encore, and this might be the final nail in the coffin for some weapons.

Specifically, Magistar Riven prices will plummet if the developers double down on restraining slams. It was already nullified as a stat-stick with the pseudo-exalted rework, and now with the threat of a possible slam nerf, its identity among Incarnons might well and truly be dead in the water — unless some sort of rework is coming to it.

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Edited by Sambit Pal