How to play Octane in Apex Legends: Abilities, tips, more

Although the Apex Legends daredevil has been subject to many nerfs over the past seasons, Octane still remains to be one of the best picks in Season 11.

Apex Legends Season 11 has arrived and there’s a range of content for players to get stuck into. Whether it’s mastering the new Legend Ash or eliminating enemies with the new CAR SMG, Escape has given players a lot of new features to check out.

On top of this, a host of buffs and nerfs were applied to existing Legends in the game, raising some characters up the tier list.

Even though Octane was nerfed with the Evolution Collection Event, the Adrenaline Junkie is still a solid pick in the current meta. His mobility and ability to make aggressive plays are unmatched and are probably why he’s still one of the most picked Legends in the game.

Despite this, to truly master Octane, it’s key you’re familiar with his kit and know exactly how it can be used to your advantage in certain situations.

How to make use of Octane’s abilities

Passive: Swift Mend

Octane’s passive automatically allows him to restore health.

Octane’s Passive ability Swift Mend allows him to automatically regenerate health over time. When out of combat, the Adrenaline Junkie will restore one health per second, giving him a great source of sustain between fights.

Swift Mend will even continue to work when Octane is knocked down but keep in mind it will not prevent him from bleeding out.

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Although the ability isn’t an auto-revive, it does mean that if one of your teammates can get you up in a gunfight, you’ll be able to jump into the skirmish a lot quicker than other Legends.

Of course, Octane’s passive won’t significantly impact any aggressive skirmishes, but for drawn-out gunfights, it can be an incredible ability.

Tactical: Stim

Octane’s Stim is his most iconic ability and the source of his speed.

Octane’s Tactical ability Stim allows him to increase his movement speed significantly for a short period of time. Once activated Stim will increase his sprint speed by 40% and his normal run speed by 30% for six seconds. Keep in mind, this ability does cost Octane 20 health per use, but due to his Passive ability, this health is rejuvenated after a period of time.

Although Stim can be useful for simple rotations, don’t underestimate the ability’s power in aggressive pushes. Octane is capable of closing the gap on an enemy incredibly quickly, allowing you to catch them off-guard and take them out. Of course, try not to be overly reckless with his movement speed – but it’s definitely a tool that can be used to your advantage.

Finally, keep in mind Octane cannot kill himself with the health cost from his Stim ability, so don’t be afraid to use it if you’re low on health and desperate for a way out.

Ultimate: Launch Pad

Every member of a squad can use Octane Ultimate ability.

Octane’s Ultimate Launch Pad gives him the ability to put down a device that propels him into the air and even gives him a double jump to shift direction. Following the Genesis update on June 29, 2021, Octane’s Launch Pad now has a 90-second cooldown, up from 60 seconds.

This change was made to nerf the Adrenaline Junkie’s utility and prevent him from spamming the ability for his squad.

It’s also worth noting that back in the Season 10 patch, Octane’s Launch Pad was nerfed once again. The horizontal distance was reduced to 15% from 10%. Nevertheless, players will still have some control over the direction that they fly.

So, if you’re looking to fly in a horizontal direction, hit the pad while crouching. However, if you’re looking for a high-arc jump, head onto the pad in a normal standing position.

Finally, in Season 9, Octane was given increased bullet spread while he’s in the air with his Ultimate. Although this nerf affected his damage output in certain scenarios, Octane still chunks enemies effectively from the air and pressures them as soon as he hits the ground.

Octane tips and tricks

1. Don’t be afraid to use Stim

Octane’s Stim ability has a two-second cooldown.

For a lot of new Octane players, using the Stim ability can feel strange as you’re losing health while it’s active, but as Swift Mend is available out of combat, it’s key you use Stim a lot.

Having access to a significant movement speed increase as soon as you drop into the map is incredibly powerful, especially in the early game. So, make sure you’re using Stim while looting to get geared up as quickly as possible. As the ability is on a one-second cooldown, you can afford to spam it and use Octane’s speed to your advantage.

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Despite this, after the Season 9 nerfs to his Tactical ability, it’s key to be mindful of when you’re using your Stim in gunfights.

As the ability now costs 20 health instead of 12, sometimes it may be better to avoid stimming, especially if you’re in an intense skirmish or if you know there’s a sniper scope targeting you.

2. Look for flanks on enemies

Octane has some of the best movement-based abilities in Apex, so make the most of them.

With Octane’s Launch Pad and Stim, you have all the tools to look for some amazing flanks. Whether you fly over the top of the gunfight with his Ultimate ability or use his tactical Stim to run around the side to find a devastating flank, it’s key you make the most of Octane’s movement-based kit.

Of course, this tip comes with the caveat that a flank is not always the right decision in a skirmish. Assess where your teammates are positioned and whether your solo mission may put them in harm’s way. If so, it may be better to take a standard approach and stick with your team.

2. Use his movement abilities as a getaway option

Don’t be afraid to use Octane’s Launch Pad as a means of retreat

Although Octane rewards an aggressive playstyle, not every gunfight will go to plan, so having a means of escape is key. For the Adrenaline Junkie, his aggressive abilities are also his defensive ones, so don’t be afraid to use his Ultimate to get out of a sticky situation.

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The same applies with Stim, although it costs 20 health to use, the movement speed boost may be the difference-maker in you getting out alive.

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Hopefully, this guide has given you plenty of tips and tricks to completely master Octane, the Adrenaline Junkie. Before long, you’ll be dominating the Apex Games and Stimming your way to victory.

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