D.Va, real name Hana Song, is a former pro gamer turned mech pilot in Blizzard's Overwatch, released in 2016. Nerf This is the enemy and player callout for her Self-Destruct ultimate, where she ejects and detonates her mech for massive area damage. The phrase plays on gamers asking developers to nerf an overpowered ability. Clips of the line spread through Twitch highlights, YouTube montages and meme edits, and it stayed popular because non-players also instantly understand it as a boast before something explodes.