I am guessing that one example is all you are able to come up with. If you are trying to claim that Funcom bases its balancing decisions primarily around PvE then I am sorry, but that is absolutely ludicrous. Please, permit me to provide some counter examples of balances done for the benefit of PvP, almost ALL of which were not well recieved by PvE and Singleplayer, and have negative impacted upon our gaming experience.
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Sword of Crom was nerfed
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Lifeblood Spear was nerfed (into utter worthlessness at that)
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Spears were nerfed…repeatedly!
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Captains and Bandit Leaders can no longer be captured
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Everyone’s legacy Vathis thralls got deleted
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Vitality 30 perk ‘Fierce Vitality’ was nerfed despite fierce opposition
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We can no longer cross fence foundations, undermining many creative options
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Repeated calls for the The Dismantling Bench to be removed
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Summoning gods was apparently too easy; the amount of Manifestation of Zeals nerfed
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The Volatile Gland drop rate was previously nerfed
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Silent Leigon armour was nerfed
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Exotic flesh drop rates too high, they got nerfed and are no longer dropped some creatures
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Cleaver harvest rates were nerfed previously
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Obsidian wespons nerfed
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Acheronian weapons nerfed
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Serpentman weapons, yeah you guessed it…nerfed
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Nerfed the EXP gained for discovering new locations
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Its too easy to gather Brimstone, its nodes were nerfed
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Golden Lotus potion is too strong, it and Bandages were both nerfed
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Obsidian arrow recipe changed to composite obsidian
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T2 Insulated Wood structures are too easy to produce, extra ingredients required as a result (now revised)
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Warmaker dungeon books bonus reduced from +8 down to +4
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Acid arrows and Snake are overpowered, they needed to be nerfed
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Axe of Violence critical chance removed entirely
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World Breaker and Annihilator armor penetration nerfed
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Strength 2 perk ‘Salting the Wound’ nerfed from 25% down to 15%
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Steel recipe component changed from Brimstone to Black Ice, despite it being more difficult for newer players to access
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Vitality 5 perk ‘Glutonous Gains’ nerfed
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Bestial Claws have had their drop rate nerfed to absurd levels and a vast array of other downgrades
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There have been repeated calls to remove Maprooms and Chairs; thank the gods common sense prevailed
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Boons granted at Hannumans Grotto offering chest all had their rates reduced
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T4 spawn rates have been reduced time and again
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Multiple weapons have had their animations, resulting in their speeds being reduced
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Damage from first blow of war axe and mace reduced
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Healing arrows were nerfed
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Sobek armor recieved a hefty nerf
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Aaannd thralls nerfed
I am quite confident that I could unearth even more if I did some digging. So please do not try to tell us that PvE holds the sway as far as balancing decisions go, because it is blatantly false.