The Battle Royale's Specialized Traversal Techniques Are Going Mainstream During This Update
Respawn Entertainment have a special treat prepared for Apex Legends gamers, arriving just in time for the holidays. Fans of this game's super-slick traversal can rejoice to learn that a new movement mechanic is being implemented when Season 27: Amped launches on November 4th.
Unveiling Mantle Boosting
Dubbed "Mantle Boosting" by the developers, this ability gives players a surge of forward momentum when scaling ledges and walls. As explained key developer Eric Canavese, Mantle Boosting has unofficially existed of the game for some time, usually referred to as "ledge boosting." However it's no easy feat for the average player, and typically employed by competitive players in competitive play or esports competitions. This season, Respawn simplifies the process for players of all skill levels to execute these tricky speed-boosts.
"This technique existed in the game for a while, but the movement isn't easy to pull off and gamers would never know it's possible without external guides," Canavese states. "We're adding a Mantle Boost indicator so users can clearly identify when and how to trigger the high-octane traversal skill, making accessible the feature and introducing fresh strategies 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 all players? Principal designer the development lead explains the team aims for players to experience empowerment — including ones who are new.
"Our community performs advanced techniques like super-gliding and tap-strafing, and we examined at our competition, looked at what our players are doing, and we wondered, 'What if we provide these capabilities to more players?'" the designer explains. "Because currently, some of these advanced [movement] mechanics are somewhat awkward to access — it requires to remap your keybinds and hit one-frame windows. So we said, 'How about we create a more official implementation?'"
The Amped Update Movement Focus
Movement is largely the name of the game in this season, with characters the gravity mage, the defensive specialist, and Valkyrie receiving buffs to help keep them in motion. The cooldown period on Horizon's Gravity Lift is shorter, and the Gravity Lift will boost players upward faster than it used to. Her defensive walls now include a roof and capability to grant movement bonuses to allies in range. However it's the high-flying this Legend receiving the most attention now, with various adjustments applied to make her more potent, faster, and more lethal.
"I think many agree that Valkyrie's time has arrived," states character developer the designer. "There's no doubt that she's been top-tier in the past, but due to the addition of other characters, mobility perks, and redeployment tools, it felt like she fell behind in current the game. It was a really great opportunity for us to reexamine a bunch of aspects in her abilities and sort of restore her to her glory days."
Valkyrie's Upgrades
To restore her competitive status in current strategies, the developer notes Respawn assessed each of her abilities and implemented some powerful modifications. Her VTOL Jets have been upgraded, increasing her speed while airborne, and this equipment regenerates much quicker, enabling the player to remain longer aloft. Now she won't be harmed from her ultimate ability, which has also been upgraded to tag enemies who are hit from it. Her squad redeploy ability — which lifts her entire squad skyward for redeployment or escape — now takes much less time to fire up. Additionally, she gains some new perk choices that users can choose to reduce fuel consumption, expand the spread of her Missile Swarm, or further speed up her ultimate activation.
"Her jet pack fulfills the pilot experience," Holstead comments.
Map Changes
Additionally, the only floating arena, Olympus, receives a mobility-focused facelift, with major changes that opens up choke points and makes claiming the high ground a bit less daunting. The developers says Apex Legends Season 27 is all about giving players the tools they need to keep up with matches.
"Really, we examined Apex's fundamental nature as a movement shooter," explains lead Legend designer the lead.
Apex Legends the Amped season launches November 4th at 10 a.m. PST/1 p.m. EST.
