Apex Legends' Niche Movement Mechanics Are Going Mainstream During This Update
The game developers have a special treat prepared for the popular battle royale players, perfectly timed for the holidays. Fans of the battle royale's super-slick traversal will be pleased to learn that an innovative traversal feature is being implemented when the Amped season launches on November 4th.
Introducing The Mantle Boost
Dubbed "Mantle Boosting" by Respawn, this feature provides gamers a burst of forward momentum when climbing over obstacles. According to key developer the design lead, Mantle Boosting was previously been a feature of Apex Legends for quite a while, usually referred to as "ledge boosting." But it's no easy feat for casual gamers, and typically employed by pro gamers in Ranked Mode or esports competitions. This season, the team is making it easier for everyone to successfully perform these advanced speed-boosts.
"Mantle Boosts have been in Apex for a while, but executing it isn't easy to pull off and a player would never know it [is in the game] without external guides," Canavese states. "Now including a visual cue so players can easily see when and how to activate the fast-paced traversal skill, opening up the feature and introducing new ways to play for a much wider base."
Why Make It Accessible
Why make a previously obscure technique accessible to everyone? Principal designer the development lead explains the team aims for gamers to feel powerful β including ones who are inexperienced.
"Our community 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 said, 'How can we provide some of this power to a broader audience?'" the designer clarifies. "Because right now, certain techniques are kind of janky to use β you need to change controls and hit one-frame windows. We proposed, 'What if we make a polished version?'"
The Amped Update Movement Focus
Movement is primarily the name of the game in this season, with characters the gravity mage, Rampart, and Valkyrie all getting buffs to help keep them in motion. The cooldown period on her tactical ability is shorter, and this skill will boost players upward much quicker than it used to. Rampart's Amped Cover feature overhead protection and capability to grant movement bonuses to allies in range. However the spotlight is on the high-flying Valkyrie receiving the most attention now, with multiple tweaks applied to make her stronger, faster, and more lethal.
"I think there's quite a consensus that Valkyrie's time is here," says Legend designer Ian Holstead. "There's no doubt that she's been top-tier in the past, but with the introduction of other characters, movement[-based] passives, and redeployment tools, it seemed like she's not very relevant in today's Apex. It was an ideal chance for the team to revisit multiple elements [of her kit] and essentially bring her back to her glory days."
Enhancements to the Aerial Legend
To restore her competitive status in current strategies, Holstead notes the team assessed each of her abilities and introduced some powerful changes. Her jetpack received improvements, boosting velocity during flight, and the jets themselves now recharge much quicker, enabling the player to remain longer in the air. She can no longer take damage from her own Missile Swarm, which has also been upgraded to tag enemies who are hit from it. Her squad redeploy ability β which lifts her entire squad skyward for redeployment or escape β requires reduced delay to fire up. She's also getting some new perk choices that users can select to reduce fuel consumption, widen the area of her Missile Swarm, or further speed up her ultimate takeoff time.
"Valkyrie's equipment fulfills the pilot experience," Holstead comments.
Map Changes
Additionally, the lone airborne map, this location, is getting a mobility-focused overhaul, with an extensive redesign that expands choke points and renders securing elevated positions more manageable. The developers state Apex Legends Season 27 is all about giving players the resources they need to keep up with matches.
"Really, we examined Apex's core identity as a fast-paced FPS," says lead Legend designer Josh Mohan.
The battle royale Season 27: Amped releases Nov. 4 at the specified times.
