Apex Legends' Specialized Movement Mechanics Become Widely Accessible This Season
Respawn Entertainment has an exciting surprise prepared for Apex Legends players, perfectly timed for festive season. Fans of the battle royale's super-slick movement will be pleased to discover that an innovative traversal feature will be introduced when the Amped season goes live on November 4th.
Introducing Mantle Boosting
Dubbed "Mantle Boosting" by the developers, this ability gives players a burst of forward momentum when climbing over ledges and walls. According to lead battle royale designer the design lead, this technique has unofficially existed of the game for quite a while, often called as "ledge boosting." However it's no easy feat for casual gamers, and is mainly used by pro gamers in Ranked Mode or tournaments. This season, the team simplifies the process for players of all skill levels to execute these tricky movement boosts.
"Mantle Boosts have been in the game for some time, but executing it isn't easy to perform and a player would never know it [is in the game] without external guides," the designer explains. "We're adding a Mantle Boost indicator so users can easily see the timing to activate the high-octane movement ability, making accessible the mechanic and introducing fresh strategies to compete for a much wider base."
Why Opening Up Advanced Mechanics
What's the reason for making a previously obscure technique accessible to everyone? Lead Legend designer the development lead explains developers aims for players to experience empowerment — including ones who are new.
"Our community performs advanced techniques like super-gliding and tap-strafes, and we examined at other games, looked at what the community execute, and we said, 'How can we extend these capabilities to more players?'" the designer explains. "Since currently, some of these advanced [movement] mechanics are somewhat awkward to use — you need to change controls and execute within one-frame windows. We proposed, 'What if we make a polished version?'"
Season 27 Emphasis on Mobility
Movement is largely the central theme in this season, with characters the gravity mage, Rampart, and the aerial combatant all getting enhancements to help keep them in motion. The cooldown period on Horizon's Gravity Lift has been decreased, and the Gravity Lift will propel players upward much quicker than before. Her defensive walls feature overhead protection and the ability to grant movement bonuses to those nearby. However the spotlight is on the high-flying Valkyrie who's getting significant improvements 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. "Certainly that she's been top-tier previously, but due to the addition of other characters, movement[-based] passives, and Evac Towers, it felt like she's not very relevant in current Apex. This presented an ideal chance for the team to reexamine a bunch of aspects [of her kit] and essentially bring her back to former prominence."
Enhancements to the Aerial Legend
To reclaim her competitive status in the game's meta, Holstead notes the team assessed all her skills and introduced significant modifications. Her jetpack have been upgraded, boosting her speed while airborne, and the jets themselves regenerates much quicker, allowing the player to remain longer in the air. She can no longer be harmed from her own Missile Swarm, which was enhanced to mark opponents who are hit from it. Her Skyward Dive skill — which lifts her entire squad into the air for redeployment or retreat — requires much less time to activate. Additionally, she gains some new perk choices that players can select to reduce fuel consumption, widen the area of her Missile Swarm, or further speed up her Skyward Dive takeoff time.
"Her jet pack now delivers on that jet-fighter fantasy," Holstead says.
Map Changes
Additionally, the only floating arena, this location, is getting a mobility-focused overhaul, with major changes that opens up choke points and makes claiming the high ground more manageable. The developers state the game this update focuses on providing gamers the resources they need to keep up with the competition.
"Really, we were looking at the game's fundamental nature as a movement shooter," says principal designer Josh Mohan.
Apex Legends the Amped season launches November 4th at 10 a.m. PST/1 p.m. EST.
