Apex Legends' Specialized Movement Mechanics Are Going Mainstream This Season
Respawn Entertainment has an exciting surprise prepared for Apex Legends players, arriving just in time for the holidays. Fans of this game's super-slick traversal will be pleased to discover that an innovative traversal feature will be introduced when Season 27: Amped launches on Nov. 4.
Introducing The Mantle Boost
Named "Mantle Boosting" by the developers, this feature provides gamers a surge of propulsion when climbing over obstacles. According to key developer the design lead, Mantle Boosting has unofficially existed of Apex Legends for quite a while, usually referred to as "ledge boosting." But it's no easy feat for casual gamers, and is mainly used by pro gamers in Ranked Mode or tournaments. This season, Respawn simplifies the process for everyone to successfully perform these advanced speed-boosts.
"This technique existed in the game for some time, but executing it isn't easy to pull off and a player would never know it's possible without external guides," the designer states. "We're adding a Mantle Boost indicator so users can clearly identify when and how to trigger the fast-paced movement ability, making accessible the feature and introducing fresh strategies to compete for a much wider base."
The Reasoning Behind Opening Up Advanced Mechanics
Why make a once niche technique accessible to all players? Lead Legend designer the development lead says developers wants players to experience empowerment — including ones who are new.
"[The playerbase] is doing other crazy stuff like super-gliding and tap-strafes, and we looked around at our competition, observed what our players execute, and we wondered, 'What if we provide some of this power to more players?'" the designer clarifies. "Because right now, some of these advanced [movement] mechanics are kind of janky to use — you need to remap your keybinds and hit one-frame windows. We proposed, 'How about we create a more official version?'"
The Amped Update Movement Focus
Mobility is primarily the name of the game in this season, with Legends the gravity mage, Rampart, and Valkyrie all getting enhancements to maintain them mobile. Recovery time on her tactical ability is shorter, and this skill will propel players into the air much quicker than before. Her defensive walls now include overhead protection and the ability to grant movement bonuses to allies in range. But it's aerial Valkyrie receiving the most attention now, with multiple tweaks implemented to enhance her as stronger, quicker, and deadlier.
"I think many agree that her moment has arrived," states Legend designer Ian Holstead. "There's no doubt that she's been dominant in the past, but due to the addition of other characters, movement[-based] passives, and redeployment tools, it felt like she's not very relevant in today's the game. It was a really great opportunity for the team to revisit a bunch of aspects [of her kit] and essentially restore her to former prominence."
Enhancements to the Aerial Legend
To reclaim her competitive status in current strategies, Holstead says Respawn evaluated all her skills and introduced significant changes. Her VTOL Jets have been upgraded, increasing her speed during flight, and the jets themselves regenerates much quicker, allowing the player to remain longer aloft. She can no longer be harmed from her ultimate ability, which was enhanced to tag enemies who are hit from it. Her Skyward Dive ability — which launches her entire squad skyward for repositioning or escape — now takes much less time to fire up. Additionally, she gains some new Legend Upgrades that users can select to conserve resources, expand the spread of her rockets, or further speed up her ultimate activation.
"Her jet pack now delivers on the pilot experience," he comments.
Olympus Improvements
Even the game's lone airborne map, Olympus, is getting a movement-friendly overhaul, with an extensive redesign that expands choke points and makes securing elevated positions a bit less daunting. The developers says Apex Legends this update focuses on giving players the tools required to keep up with matches.
"Really, we examined Apex's fundamental nature as a movement shooter," says lead Legend designer Josh Mohan.
The battle royale the Amped season releases November 4th at the specified times.
