Respawn is not done tweaking Octane just yet. After the high-speed Legend already received a notable rework earlier this year, a fresh round of balance changes is now set to adjust how some of his strongest upgrade perks work in Apex Legends. According to HYPERMYST, who is a reliable dataminer, Octane’s Level 3 Daredevil perk is losing Fast Reloads, Stim Surge is getting a longer duration through Daredevil, and Thick Skin is becoming less punishing to use.
That might not sound massive at first glance, but for Octane players, these are the kind of changes that can completely shift how a match feels. Octane has always thrived on momentum, aggression, and snowballing fights before the other team can reset. Mess with reload speed, survivability, or stim efficiency, and you are messing with the core of how many players approach the character.
Octane’s Daredevil Perk Is Losing Fast Reloads
The headline change here is that Octane’s Level 3 Daredevil perk no longer grants Fast Reloads. That is a pretty meaningful nerf because reload speed is one of those invisible power boosts that wins more gunfights than people realize. It does not look flashy on paper, but in Apex, shaving even a moment off a reload can decide whether you finish a knock or get sent back to the lobby.
Earlier patch notes listed Daredevil as a perk that gave Octane fast reload on shield cracks while also increasing Stim Surge duration, the lower his HP was. Removing that reload bonus clearly tones down how much free combat value the perk offered during aggressive pushes. Respawn seems to be steering Daredevil away from being a straight firefight enhancer and more toward a mobility and survivability option instead.
Stim Surge Gets More Value Instead
While Daredevil is losing part of its old strength, it is not being gutted outright. The tradeoff is that Stim Surge now lasts 6 seconds longer with Daredevil. That is a big extension for a character whose entire identity revolves around speed, pressure, and staying active in fights.
This change makes a lot of sense when you look at Octane’s broader rework from January. Respawn had already pushed him toward more sustained survivability by giving Stim Surge extra utility, Fortified, and synergy with Swift Mend. Extending that effect fits the new version of Octane much better than simply stapling a reload buff onto him. It is less about bursty gunfight cheese and more about letting Octane stay slippery for longer.
Thick Skin Is Becoming Much Easier to Pick
Another important change is coming to Thick Skin. Instead of reducing the drawback by 10 HP, it now takes away only 5 HP. In simple terms, that means the perk becomes easier to justify and far less awkward to pick compared to before.
That is actually a smart adjustment. One of the biggest problems with upgrade perks in Apex is when one option feels obviously worse than the other. Thick Skin may have had value, but if it felt too costly or too niche, many players were always going to ignore it. By reducing the downside, Respawn is making the choice more competitive rather than leaving it as a perk people only take by accident.
Taken together, these changes look like Respawn is trying to smooth out Octane’s power curve instead of letting one perk do too much. Losing Fast Reloads hurts, especially for players who loved using Daredevil to snowball close-range fights, but the longer Stim Surge duration and the friendlier Thick Skin adjustment could make Octane feel more consistent overall.
And honestly, that is probably healthier for the game. Octane should feel fast and reckless, not overloaded with hidden combat advantages that make every 1v1 even more frustrating for the other side. If Respawn wants him to stay one of the most popular Legends in the game, this is probably the better direction. Keep the fun. Cut some of the free power. Let his movement stay the star.
Octane mains will probably be split on this one. Some will see the removal of Fast Reloads as an unnecessary nerf, while others will welcome the stronger Stim Surge uptime and improved Thick Skin value. Either way, it is clear Respawn is still closely tuning how Octane fits into Apex Legends after his earlier rework.
