The Battle Royale's Specialized Movement Mechanics Are Going Mainstream During This Update
Respawn Entertainment has a special treat prepared for Apex Legends players, perfectly timed for festive season. Fans of this game's super-slick movement can rejoice to discover that an innovative traversal feature will be introduced when the Amped season goes live on Nov. 4.
Unveiling Mantle Boosting
Named "Momentum Boosting" by Respawn, this ability gives players a burst of forward momentum when scaling obstacles. According to key developer the design lead, this technique has unofficially been a feature of the game for quite a while, usually referred to as "mantle jumping." But it's no easy feat for the average player, and is mainly used by competitive players in competitive play or esports competitions. In this update, the team simplifies the process for everyone to execute these advanced speed-boosts.
"This technique have been in the game for a while, but the movement requires skill to pull off and a player might not realize it's possible without external guides," Canavese explains. "We're adding a Mantle Boost indicator so players can clearly identify when and how to activate the high-octane movement ability, opening up the feature and introducing new ways to play for a much wider base."
The Reasoning Behind Opening Up Advanced Mechanics
What's the reason for making a once niche movement quirk available to everyone? Lead Legend designer the development lead says the team wants gamers to feel powerful — including ones who are new.
"[The playerbase] is doing other crazy stuff like super-gliding and tap-strafing, and we looked around at other games, observed what our players are doing, and we said, 'What if we provide these capabilities to more players?'" the designer explains. "Because right now, certain advanced [movement] mechanics are somewhat awkward to use — you need to remap your keybinds and execute within precise timings. So we said, 'How about we create a polished implementation?'"
The Amped Update Emphasis on Mobility
Movement is largely the name of the game in Season 27, with characters Horizon, Rampart, and the aerial combatant all getting enhancements to maintain them mobile. Recovery time on her tactical ability is shorter, and the Gravity Lift will boost players upward faster than it used to. Rampart's Amped Cover now include a roof and the ability to provide movement bonuses to those nearby. But it's the high-flying Valkyrie who's getting significant improvements now, with various adjustments implemented to make her more potent, quicker, and deadlier.
"I think there's quite a consensus that her moment has arrived," states character developer Ian Holstead. "Certainly that she's been top-tier previously, but due to the addition of other characters, mobility perks, and Evac Towers, it felt like she's not very relevant in current the game. It was an ideal chance for the team to reexamine a bunch of aspects in her abilities and essentially restore her to former prominence."
Valkyrie's Upgrades
To restore her competitive status in current strategies, Holstead says the team evaluated each of her abilities and implemented significant modifications. Her jetpack have been upgraded, increasing velocity during flight, and the jets themselves regenerates three times faster, allowing her to spend more time aloft. She can no longer take damage from her own Missile Swarm, which was enhanced to mark opponents who are hit from it. Her squad redeploy ability — which launches teammates skyward for redeployment or retreat — now takes much less time to activate. Additionally, she gains some new perk choices that users can select to conserve resources, widen the area of her Missile Swarm, or accelerate her Skyward Dive activation.
"Valkyrie's equipment fulfills that jet-fighter fantasy," he comments.
Map Changes
Even the game's lone airborne map, this location, receives a movement-friendly facelift, with major changes that expands choke points and makes securing elevated positions more manageable. Respawn state Apex Legends Season 27 focuses on giving players the resources required to compete in the competition.
"Really, we examined Apex's core identity as a fast-paced FPS," explains principal designer the lead.
The battle royale Season 27: Amped releases November 4th at the specified times.
