Apex Legends' Specialized Movement Mechanics Are Going Mainstream During This Update
The game developers has an exciting surprise prepared for Apex Legends gamers, perfectly timed for the holidays. Fans of this game's super-slick movement will be pleased to learn that a new movement mechanic is being implemented when Season 27: Amped launches on Nov. 4.
Introducing The Mantle Boost
Named "Mantle Boosting" by Respawn, this feature gives players a burst of forward momentum when scaling ledges and walls. According to lead battle royale designer the design lead, this technique was previously been a feature of the game for some time, usually referred to as "ledge boosting." But it's no easy feat for the average player, and is mainly used by pro gamers in Ranked Mode or tournaments. This season, the team is making it easier for everyone to execute these advanced movement boosts.
"This technique have been in the game for some time, but the movement isn't easy to perform and a player would never know it's possible without outside knowledge," the designer states. "Now including a Mantle Boost indicator so players can clearly identify when and how to trigger the high-octane traversal skill, making accessible the mechanic and adding new ways to compete for more players."
Why Make It Accessible
Why make a once niche movement quirk available to all players? Principal designer Josh Mohan explains the team wants players to feel powerful — even those who are inexperienced.
"[The playerbase] performs other crazy stuff like super-glides and tap-strafes, and we examined at our competition, looked at what our players execute, and we wondered, 'What if we extend some of this power to a broader audience?'" Mohan explains. "Since right now, some of these techniques are somewhat awkward to use — it requires to remap your keybinds and execute within one-frame windows. So we said, 'What if we create a more official version?'"
Season 27 Movement Focus
Mobility is largely the name of the game in Season 27, with Legends the gravity mage, Rampart, and the aerial combatant all getting buffs to help keep them mobile. The cooldown period on Horizon's Gravity Lift has been decreased, and the Gravity Lift will propel users upward faster than before. Rampart's Amped Cover now include a roof and the ability to provide movement bonuses to those nearby. However it's aerial Valkyrie receiving significant improvements now, with various adjustments applied to make her stronger, faster, and more lethal.
"In my opinion many agree that Valkyrie's time has arrived," says character developer the designer. "Certainly she was dominant previously, but with the introduction of other characters, mobility perks, and Evac Towers, it felt like she's not very relevant in today's the game. This presented a really great opportunity for the team to reexamine multiple elements [of her kit] and sort of restore her to her glory days."
Enhancements to the Aerial Legend
To restore Valkyrie's relevance in current strategies, the developer says the team assessed each of her abilities and introduced some powerful modifications. Her jetpack received improvements, boosting her speed during flight, and this equipment regenerates three times faster, enabling the player to spend more time aloft. She can no longer take damage from her ultimate ability, which has also been upgraded to mark enemies who are hit from the missiles. Her Skyward Dive ability — which launches teammates skyward for repositioning or retreat — now takes reduced delay to fire up. She's also getting some new perk choices that players can select to reduce fuel consumption, expand the spread of her Missile Swarm, or further speed up her ultimate activation.
"Her jet pack fulfills that jet-fighter fantasy," Holstead says.
Map Changes
Additionally, the only floating arena, Olympus, is getting a movement-friendly overhaul, with an extensive redesign that expands bottlenecks and renders claiming the high ground more manageable. The developers state Apex Legends this update focuses on providing gamers the resources they need to compete in the competition.
"Essentially, we were looking at the game's fundamental nature as a fast-paced FPS," explains principal designer the lead.
The battle royale Season 27: Amped releases November 4th at 10 a.m. PST/1 p.m. EST.
