Apex Legends' Specialized Traversal Techniques Are Going Mainstream During This Update
The game developers has an exciting surprise in store for the popular battle royale gamers, arriving just in time for festive season. Fans of the battle royale's super-slick movement will be pleased to learn that a new movement mechanic is being implemented when Season 27: Amped goes live on Nov. 4.
Unveiling Mantle Boosting
Named "Momentum Boosting" by the developers, this feature gives players a surge of propulsion when scaling ledges and walls. According to lead battle royale designer Eric Canavese, this technique has unofficially been a feature of the game for quite a while, usually referred to as "mantle jumping." However it's no easy feat for the average player, and is mainly used by pro gamers in Ranked Mode or esports competitions. This season, Respawn simplifies the process for players of all skill levels to execute these advanced speed-boosts.
"Mantle Boosts have been in Apex for some time, but the movement isn't easy to pull off and gamers would never know it's possible without external guides," the designer explains. "We're adding a Mantle Boost indicator so players can clearly identify when and how to activate the high-octane movement ability, making accessible the feature and adding new ways to play for more players."
Why Opening Up Advanced Mechanics
What's the reason for making a once niche technique accessible to everyone? Lead Legend designer the development lead says developers wants players to experience empowerment — even those who are inexperienced.
"[The playerbase] is doing advanced techniques like super-glides and tap-strafing, and we examined at our competition, looked at what our players are doing, and we wondered, 'What if we extend some of this power to more players?'" Mohan clarifies. "Because currently, certain advanced [movement] mechanics are kind of janky to use — you need to remap your keybinds and hit one-frame windows. So we said, 'What if we create a polished implementation?'"
The Amped Update Movement Focus
Movement is primarily the name of the game in Season 27, with characters the gravity mage, the defensive specialist, and Valkyrie all getting buffs to maintain them in motion. Recovery time on Horizon's Gravity Lift has been decreased, and the Gravity Lift will propel users into the air faster than before. Her defensive walls feature overhead protection and the ability to grant movement bonuses to allies in range. But the spotlight is on the high-flying this Legend receiving the most attention now, with multiple tweaks applied to enhance her as stronger, faster, and deadlier.
"I think many agree that Valkyrie's time is here," states Legend designer Ian Holstead. "Certainly that she's been dominant previously, but with the introduction of other characters, movement[-based] passives, and Evac Towers, it felt like she's not very relevant in current the game. It was a really great opportunity for us to reexamine a bunch of aspects [of her kit] and essentially restore her to her glory days."
Valkyrie's Upgrades
To restore her competitive status in current strategies, the developer says the team assessed all her skills and introduced some powerful modifications. Her jetpack have been upgraded, increasing velocity while airborne, and this equipment now recharge three times faster, allowing the player to spend more time aloft. She can no longer take damage from her ultimate ability, which has also been upgraded to tag enemies who are hit from it. Her Skyward Dive skill — which lifts teammates skyward for redeployment or retreat — now takes much less time to fire up. Additionally, she gains some new perk choices that users can select to conserve resources, widen the area of her Missile Swarm, or accelerate her ultimate activation.
"Her jet pack fulfills that jet-fighter fantasy," he says.
Olympus Improvements
Additionally, the only floating arena, this location, is getting a movement-friendly overhaul, with major changes that opens up bottlenecks and renders claiming the high ground a bit less daunting. Respawn state Apex Legends this update focuses on giving players the resources they need to keep up with matches.
"Really, we were looking at the game's core identity as a movement shooter," says lead Legend designer Josh Mohan.
Apex Legends the Amped season launches Nov. 4 at 10 a.m. PST/1 p.m. EST.
