Apex Legends' Specialized Movement Mechanics Are Going Mainstream This Season
Respawn Entertainment have a special treat prepared for Apex Legends gamers, perfectly timed for the holidays. Enthusiasts of this game's highly fluid traversal will be pleased to discover that a new movement mechanic will be introduced when the Amped season goes live on Nov. 4.
Unveiling Mantle Boosting
Named "Momentum Boosting" by the developers, this feature provides gamers a surge of forward momentum when climbing over obstacles. According to lead battle royale designer Eric Canavese, Mantle Boosting was previously existed of the game for quite a while, often called as "mantle jumping." But it's challenging for casual gamers, and is mainly used by competitive players in Ranked Mode or tournaments. This season, the team simplifies the process for everyone to execute these tricky movement boosts.
"This technique have been in the game for some time, but executing it requires skill to perform and gamers would never know it [is in the game] without external guides," Canavese states. "We're adding a Mantle Boost indicator so users can clearly identify the timing to trigger the fast-paced movement ability, making accessible the feature and introducing new ways to compete for more players."
Why Opening Up Advanced Mechanics
Why make a previously obscure technique accessible to all players? Lead Legend designer the development lead says developers aims for gamers to feel powerful — including ones who are inexperienced.
"Our community is doing other crazy stuff like super-gliding and tap-strafes, and we examined at our competition, observed what our players execute, and we said, 'How can we extend these capabilities to more players?'" Mohan explains. "Since currently, certain advanced [movement] mechanics are somewhat awkward to access — you need to remap your keybinds and hit precise timings. We proposed, 'How about we make a more official implementation?'"
Season 27 Emphasis on Mobility
Movement is primarily the central theme in this season, with Legends Horizon, the defensive specialist, and Valkyrie receiving buffs to maintain them in motion. Recovery time on Horizon's Gravity Lift is shorter, and the Gravity Lift will boost users upward faster than it used to. Her defensive walls now include overhead protection and capability to grant movement bonuses to allies in range. However the spotlight is on the high-flying this Legend who's getting significant improvements this season, with multiple tweaks applied to enhance her as more potent, faster, and deadlier.
"In my opinion many agree that Valkyrie's time is here," states character developer the designer. "Certainly she was top-tier in the past, but due to the addition of other characters, mobility perks, and redeployment tools, it seemed like she's not very relevant in today's Apex. This presented a really great opportunity for us to revisit a bunch of aspects [of her kit] and essentially restore her to her glory days."
Valkyrie's Upgrades
To restore her competitive status in current strategies, the developer notes Respawn assessed all her skills and implemented significant changes. Her VTOL Jets have been upgraded, boosting her speed while airborne, and the jets themselves regenerates three times faster, allowing the player to spend more time aloft. She can no longer take damage from her own Missile Swarm, which was enhanced to tag enemies who are hit from it. Her Skyward Dive skill — which launches her entire squad skyward for redeployment or escape — now takes much less time to fire up. Additionally, she gains recently added Legend Upgrades that users can select to conserve resources, expand the spread of her Missile Swarm, or accelerate her Skyward Dive takeoff time.
"Her jet pack now delivers on that jet-fighter fantasy," he comments.
Map Changes
Additionally, the lone airborne map, this location, is getting a movement-friendly overhaul, with major changes that opens up bottlenecks and renders claiming the high ground more manageable. Respawn says Apex Legends Season 27 is all about giving players the tools required to keep up with the competition.
"Essentially, we were looking at the game's core identity as a movement shooter," explains lead Legend designer the lead.
The battle royale Season 27: Amped releases Nov. 4 at 10 a.m. PST/1 p.m. EST.
