Apex’s upcoming Evolution patch to nerf Octane and L-STAR, buff Rampart

Apex Legends’ next update will deliver a nerf to Octane and the L-Star and let Rampart carry her minigun with a few caveats. The patch is scheduled for Sept. 14, but the developers gave fans an early look at what’s changing by releasing the patch notes today.

The balance changes touch on a series of problematic elements in Apex. Octane, for instance, has been nearly ubiquitous in high-level play and the L-Star buff in Emergence made it one of the most lethal weapons in the Outlands.

The upcoming changes to Octane will decrease the total distance on his jump pad by 10 to 15 percent, according to the patch notes. Respawn will also drop his health regeneration to one HP per second, down from 1.5. Those changes will make it slightly more punishing to Stim as Octane, especially with the increased health cost the character saw in Legacy, and will trim the edges off his utility when using his jump pad.

The L-STAR, on the other hand, will receive thorough tweaks. Respawn will “slightly” increase its cool-off time and overheating animations and reduce its base ammo capacity before reloading. The goal behind these changes is to “smooth out the power progression” toward a healthier top-end, according to the patch notes.

The developers will also boost the L-STAR’s price in Arenas to 600, making it slightly more expensive to purchase but faintly cheaper to upgrade. The new price tag means that it’s not accessible for the first round in Arenas. Respawn will “hotfix further adjustments” if its pick rate remains the same.

The L-STAR has become fairly prevalent, especially in Arenas, after the Emergence patch let players equip barrels and magazines on the gun and reduced its projectile VFX.

Outside of nerfs, Rampart is getting far more than just an heirloom and a Town Takeover when the Evolution patch drops. The legend will get the ability to carry Sheila into battle instead of just placing it in one spot, though with a few drawbacks.

Players will only have one magazine when carrying it by hand and it comes with a longer spin-up animation. After Sheila is out, “you can put it away and pull it back out until you run out of ammo (or hit the cooldown time),” according to the notes. Players can also set it down in one spot, reverting it to the previous version of the ultimate with unlimited reloads. They can’t pick Sheila back up after placing it, however.

The changes should “give her a little more ability to be reactive and push with her team,” according to the notes, offering her some play beyond her usual defensive playstyle. She remains a strong defensive legend but with a little extra room for other plays.

Apex players can try out the balancing adjustments, the Rampart Town Takeover, and try their hands at the Evolution collection event when the patch drops on Sept. 14.