Apex Legends' Specialized Movement Mechanics Become Widely Accessible This Season
Respawn Entertainment has an exciting surprise in store for Apex Legends players, perfectly timed for festive season. Fans of the battle royale's highly fluid traversal will be pleased to learn that an innovative traversal feature is being implemented when the Amped season goes live on November 4th.
Introducing Mantle Boosting
Dubbed "Momentum Boosting" by the developers, this feature gives players a burst of propulsion when climbing over obstacles. According to lead battle royale designer Eric Canavese, Mantle Boosting has unofficially existed of Apex Legends for quite a while, usually referred to as "mantle jumping." However it's challenging for casual gamers, and typically employed by pro gamers in Ranked Mode or tournaments. This season, the team simplifies the process for players of all skill levels to successfully perform these advanced speed-boosts.
"Mantle Boosts existed in the game for a while, but executing it requires skill to perform and a player might not realize it's possible without outside knowledge," the designer states. "Now including a Mantle Boost indicator so users can easily see when and how to activate the high-octane movement ability, making accessible the feature and introducing fresh strategies to compete for more players."
The Reasoning Behind Opening Up Advanced Mechanics
Why make a once niche movement quirk accessible to all players? Principal designer Josh Mohan explains developers aims for gamers to feel powerful — even those who are new.
"[The playerbase] is doing other crazy stuff like super-gliding and tap-strafing, and we examined at our competition, observed what our players execute, and we said, 'What if we extend these capabilities to a broader audience?'" Mohan clarifies. "Since right now, certain advanced [movement] mechanics are somewhat awkward to use — it requires to remap your keybinds and hit one-frame windows. We proposed, 'How about we make a more official implementation?'"
The Amped Update Movement Focus
Mobility is largely the central theme in this season, with characters Horizon, the defensive specialist, and Valkyrie receiving enhancements to help keep them mobile. Recovery time on Horizon's Gravity Lift is shorter, and the Gravity Lift will propel players upward much quicker than before. Her defensive walls feature a roof and capability to grant speed boosts to allies in range. But the spotlight is on aerial this Legend receiving significant improvements this season, with multiple tweaks implemented to make her more potent, faster, and more lethal.
"I think there's quite a consensus that Valkyrie's time is here," says character developer Ian Holstead. "Certainly that she's been top-tier previously, but due to the addition of other characters, mobility perks, and Evac Towers, it seemed like she fell behind in today's Apex. It was an ideal chance for us to reexamine multiple elements [of her kit] and essentially bring her back to former prominence."
Enhancements to the Aerial Legend
To reclaim her competitive status in current strategies, Holstead notes the team evaluated each of her abilities and implemented significant modifications. Her VTOL Jets have been upgraded, increasing velocity while airborne, and this equipment now recharge much quicker, enabling the player to spend more time in the air. Now she won't take damage from her own Missile Swarm, which has also been upgraded to mark opponents who are hit from the missiles. Her Skyward Dive ability — which lifts her entire squad into the air for redeployment or escape — requires much less time to activate. Additionally, she gains some new perk choices that users can select to conserve resources, expand the spread of her Missile Swarm, or further speed up her ultimate takeoff time.
"Valkyrie's equipment fulfills that jet-fighter fantasy," he says.
Map Changes
Even the game's only floating arena, this location, is getting a mobility-focused facelift, with an extensive redesign that opens up choke points and renders claiming the high ground more manageable. The developers state the game Season 27 is all about giving players the resources they need to keep up with matches.
"Essentially, we examined Apex's core identity as a fast-paced FPS," says lead Legend designer Josh Mohan.
Apex Legends the Amped season launches November 4th at the specified times.
