Apex Legends' Specialized Movement Mechanics Become Widely Accessible During This Update
Respawn Entertainment have an exciting surprise in store for Apex Legends gamers, perfectly timed for the holidays. Fans of this game's highly fluid movement will be pleased to learn that an innovative traversal feature will be introduced when Season 27: Amped launches on November 4th.
Unveiling The Mantle Boost
Named "Mantle Boosting" by Respawn, this ability gives players a burst of propulsion when scaling ledges and walls. As explained key developer Eric Canavese, Mantle Boosting has unofficially existed of Apex Legends for quite a while, often called as "mantle jumping." But it's challenging for casual gamers, and typically employed by pro gamers in competitive play or tournaments. This season, Respawn simplifies the process for everyone to successfully perform these advanced movement boosts.
"This technique existed in the game for a while, but the movement isn't easy to perform and gamers would never know it's possible without external guides," Canavese explains. "We're adding a visual cue so players can easily see the timing to activate the high-octane traversal skill, making accessible the mechanic and introducing fresh strategies to play for a much wider base."
Why Opening Up Advanced Mechanics
What's the reason for making a previously obscure technique available to everyone? Lead Legend designer the development lead says developers aims for players to feel powerful — even those who are inexperienced.
"Our community is doing other crazy stuff like super-gliding and tap-strafing, and we examined at our competition, looked at what the community execute, and we wondered, 'How can we extend these capabilities to a broader audience?'" the designer clarifies. "Because currently, some of these techniques are somewhat awkward to use — it requires to remap your keybinds and execute within precise timings. So we said, 'How about we make a polished implementation?'"
Season 27 Emphasis on Mobility
Mobility is largely the central theme in Season 27, with characters the gravity mage, Rampart, and the aerial combatant receiving enhancements to help keep them mobile. The cooldown period on her tactical ability has been decreased, and the Gravity Lift will propel users into the air much quicker than it used to. Rampart's Amped Cover feature overhead protection and the ability to provide movement bonuses to those nearby. However it's the high-flying Valkyrie receiving significant improvements this season, with multiple tweaks implemented to make her stronger, quicker, and more lethal.
"I think many agree that her moment has arrived," states Legend designer Ian Holstead. "Certainly that she's been dominant in the past, but with the introduction of other characters, movement[-based] passives, and redeployment tools, it felt like she's not very relevant in today's Apex. This presented an ideal chance for us to reexamine multiple elements in her abilities and essentially bring her back to her glory days."
Valkyrie's Upgrades
To reclaim her competitive status in current strategies, the developer says the team evaluated each of her abilities and implemented significant changes. Her VTOL Jets have been upgraded, increasing velocity while airborne, and this equipment regenerates three times faster, enabling her to remain longer in the air. She can no longer be harmed from her ultimate ability, which was enhanced to tag opponents who are hit from it. Her Skyward Dive ability — which lifts her entire squad into the air for repositioning or retreat — requires much less time to activate. She's also getting some new perk choices that players can choose to conserve resources, expand the spread of her rockets, or further speed up her ultimate activation.
"Her jet pack fulfills the pilot experience," he comments.
Map Changes
Additionally, the lone airborne map, this location, is getting a movement-friendly facelift, with an extensive redesign that opens up bottlenecks and makes claiming the high ground a bit less daunting. The developers state the game this update is all about providing gamers the tools they need to keep up with matches.
"Really, we examined Apex's core identity as a movement shooter," says lead Legend designer the lead.
The battle royale Season 27: Amped releases November 4th at the specified times.