How to play Catalyst in Apex Legends

Catalyst in Apex Legends Season 24 remains one of the best Controller Legends in the game. She has been one of the most-picked Legends in the past few seasons, for all the right reasons. She is one of the best Controllers in the game, and that makes her a favorite for both casual players and professionals alike.

Catalyst's kit is quite straightforward, and being a Controller Legend, she excels at claiming space for her own. Her abilities allow her to defend spaces better than other Legends, and naturally, in an assault-driven meta in Apex Legends Season 24, we believe she's a must pick for squads.

This article will provide you with a detailed guide to help play Catalyst in Apex Legends Season 24. Read below to know more.

Editor's note: The contents of this article are subjective and solely feature the writer's own opinion. Furthermore, the article has been updated to feature the latest balance changes incorporated with the Apex Legends Takeover patch on February 11, 2025.

Looking for Crossword hints & solutions? Check out latest NYT Mini Crossword Answers, LA Times Crossword Answers, and Atlantic Crossword Answers

What are Catalyst's abilities in Apex Legends?

Nicknamed the Defensive Conjurer, Catalyst in Apex Legends has some of the best fortification abilities in the game. You can read about them below:

Barricade (Passive)

Barricade is Catalyst's Passive ability. The Legend uses ferrofluid projections to reinforce all doors. When she locks the doors up, they can only be broken when kicked down.

In doorways where doors have been blown off, Catalyst can use Barricade to conjure a set of new locked doors.

Piercing Spikes (Tactical)

Using Piercing Spikes, you can throw out a lump of ferrofluid that extends into an 11x2 meter patch. When enemies step near this ferrofluid patch, spikes become active. These spikes deal damage to and slow down all enemy players.

Dark Veil (Ultimate)

Using Dark Veil, you can throw out a massive curtain of ferrofluid. The curtain is permeable, and any enemies that walk through it are slowed and temporarily blinded for seven seconds.

Catalyst in Apex Legends is one of the best Controllers in-game (Image via EA)

Check out: All bug fixes and quality-of-life changes in Apex Legends Season 24

How to use Catalyst in Apex Legends

If you are more of a defensive player who likes to hold down the fort and play hard zone, you should opt for Catalyst in Apex Legends. This Legend excels at fortifying any space, providing her team with a massive safety net.

Below are some tips for using her abilities in the game.

Barricade

Barricade is one of the strongest Passive abilities in Apex Legends. Irrespective of how chaotic a situation might be, you should always barricade doors whenever you take control of a room.

The Ferrofluid projections that are used to barricade pre-existing doors need four melee hits to break down. If the doorways are already demolished, Catalyst uses her Ferrofluid projections to conjure a new doorway to replace them. These take two melee hits to destroy. This buys players enough time to heal up and reset in the midst of a team fight.

Read more: All new game modes coming in Apex Legends Season 24

Piercing Spikes

Piercing Spikes are area denial tools, similar to Wattson's Perimeter Security in Apex Legends. You can use them defensively to fortify the area you've taken under your wing. Use it under barricaded doors to provide an extra layer of protection. These deal damage to enemies and absorb up to 300 damage.

If you want to go on the offensive, throw these spikes at the entry and exit points of buildings. This will trap enemies inside a given space. You can also use them in open ground to prevent hyper-aggressive pushes.

This is a situational ability, and you will get the hang of it the more you play the game.

Dark Veil

Dark Veil is one of the strongest abilities of Catalyst in Apex Legends. It acts as a great means to block enemy vision and can be used as a rotational tool.

Furthermore, if you want to go on the offensive, use Dark Veil to block off the direction you are pushing from or, as a distraction, ambush opponents from behind the cover.

However, in most instances, the Dark Veil should be used for rotation. When its late-game, preserve this ability to cut off enemy sightlines and safely rotate to spaces where you can hold your ground. Pair it with your Piercing Spikes to solidify control over certain areas on the field.

That's everything that you need to know about playing as Catalyst in Apex Legends Season 24. She is one of the best defensive Legends in the game, and in our opinion, you should use her as extensively as possible. Her abilities will ensure that you can control spaces in the game without getting contested, which is a must-have in a fast-paced FPS like Apex Legends.

If this guide was to your liking, you can check out our other related guides and news below:

Are you stuck on today's Wordle? Our Wordle Solver will help you find the answer.

Edited by Rachel Syiemlieh