A recent Apex Legends update has nerfed Octane and Horizon, as Respawn looks to curtail some of their power. These two characters are among the most popular picks in Apex Legends, so the latest update could have a significant impact on the game’s meta in the coming weeks.
As January winds down, many Apex Legends fans have their sights set on Season 28's launch. However, Season 27 has already made many changes to the battle royale in the past couple of months, including some noteworthy alterations to Legends like Horizon and Octane. In the case of Apex Legends’ gravitational manipulator, the developers buffed her kit at the start of the season, making her Gravity Lift more like it was upon her release in Season 7 of Apex Legends. Later on, during the mid-season update, Respawn reworked Octane, giving the high-speed daredevil a new Tactical called Stim Surge, among other things. Unsurprisingly, these changes saw the pick rates for both characters surge in Season 27. According to Apex Legends Status, Octane currently enjoys a hefty 16.5% pick rate, while Horizon finds herself in the ninth spot at 4.5%.
Highguard Is Already Drawing Major Attention on Steam
New PVP raid shooter Highguard is already off to a fast start on Steam, as the game draws a mix of attention from thousands of players.
Respawn Nerfs Octane and Horizon in January 23 Update
While both characters can be fun to play as in Apex Legends, Respawn thinks their power needs to be reigned in. As part of a January 23 update, the developer nerfed Octane and Horizon to help them fit better in the current meta. Among the changes, the effectiveness of Octane's Swift Mend ability has been decreased. Specifically, maximum healing has been reduced from 9 to 6, and minimum healing has been reduced from 3 to 2. Meanwhile, Horizon's NEWT Scoot upgrade was nerfed. Players can now only glide for a maximum of 2 seconds, down from 5 seconds. In addition, the maximum speed has been reduced from 700 to 550, making her potentially an easier target.
Respawn explained the reasoning behind the changes in the patch notes. According to the developer, Octane’s pick rate has not decreased to a “healthy” level since the mid-season update. These latest changes should make him slightly less durable; they come after his recent rework made him harder to kill. The Horizon changes are a bit more interesting, as Respawn noted that it was happy with the character’s pick rate since the launch of Season 27. However, the synergy with Octane was described as “squirrely,” prompting the nerf to NEWT Scoot. It is worth pointing out that this is an upgrade for Horizon in Apex Legends, meaning not every player will notice a change if they elect to go with the fast-fall option instead.
It might take time to see the extent these changes will have on the Apex Legends meta. However, they are doubtlessly disappointing for some Octane mains. Since his introduction to the roster in Season 1, he has become a fan favorite thanks to his movement-based abilities. Unfortunately, Octane has become less viable as better alternatives have entered the fray. The latest mid-season update for Apex Legends finally gave the character a meaningful rework, but it remains to be seen how long the character can stay at the top of the popularity charts following this recent nerf.
These changes come as the Winter Wipeout Event wraps up on January 27. This event brought changes to the Wildcard game mode in Apex Legends, including HoverBoards. Additionally, new winter-themed cosmetics were added, along with the Apex Stellaris Prestige Skin for Horizon. Once this event concludes, fans should hear more about what is next for the battle royale in the coming days, as the current season is expected to end on February 3. Time will tell what other Legend tweaks could be coming in Season 28.
Apex Legends January 23 Update - Patch Notes
Hey Legends,
We just pushed a patch that includes the following adjustments and fixes:
Octane:
We have seen an organic drop in his pick rate since the mid season patch went live, which we expected, but that didn't fall enough to a level we felt was healthy so that indicated some of the interactions of his new kit are unhealthy.
- Reduced Swift Mend max healing from 9 to 6
- Reduced Swift Mend min healing from 3 to 2
Horizon:
Horizon landed at a comfortable pick rate after her recent buffs, but when combined with Octane, the team comp has proven to be a bit squirrely.
- Reduced max Newt Scoot time from 5 to 2.5
- Reduced New Scoot max speed from 700 to 550
Thank you for your continued feedback. See you on the Dropship!
Apex Legends
-
OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 81 /100 Critics Rec: 74%
- Released
- February 4, 2019
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Blood, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Respawn Entertainment
- Publisher(s)
- Electronic Arts
WHERE TO PLAY
Conquer with character in Apex Legends, a free-to-play* Hero shooter where legendary characters with powerful abilities team up to battle for fame & fortune on the fringes of the Frontier.
Master an ever-growing roster of diverse legends, deep tactical squad play, and bold new innovations that go beyond the Battle Royale experience—all within a rugged world where anything goes. Welcome to the next evolution of Hero Shooter.
This game includes optional in-game purchases of virtual currency that can be used to acquire virtual in-game items, including a random selection of virtual in-game items.
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer
- Cross-Platform Play
- PC, PS4, Switch & Xbox One
- Cross Save
- Cross Progression lets you share your game progress across PC, PlayStation®, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- yes
- Genre(s)
- Battle Royale, First-Person Shooter
- Platform(s)
- PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC, iOS, Android, Switch
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
- X|S Optimized
- yes
- PS Plus Availability
- N/A
