Apex Legends' Specialized Movement Mechanics Become Widely Accessible During This Update
Respawn Entertainment have an exciting surprise in store for the popular battle royale gamers, arriving just in time for the holidays. Enthusiasts of the battle royale's super-slick traversal can rejoice to discover that a new movement mechanic will be introduced when the Amped season launches on Nov. 4.
Introducing The Mantle Boost
Named "Momentum Boosting" by the developers, this ability gives players a surge of propulsion when scaling ledges and walls. As explained key developer the design lead, Mantle Boosting was previously been a feature of the game for quite a while, often called as "mantle jumping." But it's challenging for casual gamers, and typically employed by competitive players in Ranked Mode or esports competitions. In this update, the team simplifies the process for players of all skill levels to successfully perform these tricky speed-boosts.
"This technique existed in the game for some time, but the movement requires skill to perform and a player would never know it [is in the game] without external guides," the designer explains. "We're adding a visual cue so players can clearly identify when and how to trigger the high-octane movement ability, making accessible the mechanic and introducing new ways to play for a much wider base."
Why Opening Up Advanced Mechanics
What's the reason for making a once niche technique available to all players? Principal designer Josh Mohan explains the team wants gamers to feel powerful — even those who are new.
"[The playerbase] performs advanced techniques like super-gliding and tap-strafing, and we looked around at our competition, looked at what the community are doing, and we wondered, 'What if we provide some of this power to a broader audience?'" the designer explains. "Since currently, certain advanced [movement] mechanics are kind of janky to use — it requires to change controls and hit one-frame windows. We proposed, 'What if we make a more official version?'"
Season 27 Movement Focus
Movement is largely the central theme in this season, with Legends the gravity mage, Rampart, and Valkyrie receiving buffs to maintain them in motion. Recovery time on her tactical ability has been decreased, and the Gravity Lift will propel users upward faster than before. Her defensive walls now include overhead protection and capability to grant speed boosts to those nearby. However it's aerial this Legend receiving significant improvements this season, with multiple tweaks implemented to enhance her as more potent, quicker, and deadlier.
"I think there's quite a consensus that her moment is here," says Legend designer Ian Holstead. "Certainly that she's been dominant in the past, but with the introduction of new Legends, movement[-based] passives, and Evac Towers, it felt like she fell behind in today's the game. It was a really great opportunity for us to reexamine a bunch of aspects [of her kit] and sort of restore her to her glory days."
Valkyrie's Upgrades
To reclaim Valkyrie's relevance in current strategies, the developer says the team assessed each of her abilities and implemented some powerful changes. Her jetpack have been upgraded, boosting velocity during flight, and this equipment now recharge three times faster, enabling the player to spend more time in the air. She can no longer be harmed from her ultimate ability, which was enhanced to tag enemies who take damage from it. Her squad redeploy ability — which lifts her entire squad into the air for repositioning or escape — requires reduced delay to activate. She's also getting recently added perk choices that users can choose to reduce fuel consumption, widen the area of her Missile Swarm, or further speed up her ultimate takeoff time.
"Valkyrie's equipment fulfills that jet-fighter fantasy," Holstead says.
Map Changes
Even the game's only floating arena, this location, receives a movement-friendly facelift, with major changes that expands choke points and makes securing elevated positions more manageable. The developers says Apex Legends Season 27 is all about giving players the tools required to compete in matches.
"Really, we examined Apex's fundamental nature as a fast-paced FPS," says principal designer Josh Mohan.
The battle royale the Amped season releases November 4th at 10 a.m. PST/1 p.m. EST.
