Under a blazingly hot LA sun, by midday on Saturday the EA Play event was in full swing. Fans were whirring, players were seeking shelter under parasols – and with the giant skeletal decorations, it almost felt like stepping into King’s Canyon itself. In part, this is because the entire Apex Legends line-up was there too. Nine characters, in full costume and make-up, were busy acting out their roles and smiling for the cameras to the delight of nearby guests.
But one of these cosplays was particularly remarkable. Octane – the high energy, daredevil character who (canonically) blew his legs off with a grenade when setting a Gauntlet course record – was represented at Play by a double amputee wearing custom prosthetics created specifically for the occasion.
And, in another twist, it turned out the person playing Octane was actually a she.
I was deeply impressed that the diversity present in Apex Legends was being championed at the event through the casting of an amputee to play the character – and I was determined to find out more. I had a chat with Octane’s cosplayer, Erin Ball, and prop maker Aaron Vindua to find out how they achieved the look – and ask why this sort of representation is so important.
So, how do you end up professionally cosplaying as Octane, anyway? Appropriately for the stunt-loving character she played, Ball is a circus performer, and got the role after being contacted by Henchmen Studios (who created the cosplays). While she told me she hadn’t yet played Apex Legends, she’d definitely done her research, and associates Octane with “high energy and running”. “I’m working on that,” she added with a laugh.