Apex Legends' Niche Movement Mechanics Are Going Mainstream During This Update
The game developers has a special treat in store for Apex Legends gamers, arriving just in time for the holidays. Enthusiasts of the battle royale's super-slick movement will be pleased to discover that a new movement mechanic will be introduced when the Amped season goes live on November 4th.
Introducing The Mantle Boost
Dubbed "Momentum Boosting" by Respawn, this ability provides gamers a surge of propulsion when climbing over obstacles. According to key developer the design lead, Mantle Boosting has unofficially existed of Apex Legends for some time, usually referred to as "ledge boosting." But it's no easy feat for the average player, and is mainly used by pro gamers in competitive play or esports competitions. In this update, Respawn simplifies the process for everyone to execute these tricky speed-boosts.
"Mantle Boosts have been in Apex for some time, but the movement isn't easy to perform and gamers might not realize it [is in the game] without outside knowledge," the designer states. "Now including a Mantle Boost indicator so users can clearly identify when and how to trigger the fast-paced movement ability, making accessible the mechanic and adding fresh strategies to compete for a much wider base."
The Reasoning Behind Make It Accessible
What's the reason for making a previously obscure movement quirk available to everyone? Principal designer Josh Mohan explains developers wants players to feel powerful — even those who are new.
"[The playerbase] performs other crazy stuff like super-gliding and tap-strafing, and we looked around at our competition, looked at what our players are doing, and we wondered, 'What if we provide some of this power to a broader audience?'" Mohan clarifies. "Since currently, some of these techniques are kind of janky to use — it requires to change controls and execute within one-frame windows. We proposed, 'How about we make a polished version?'"
The Amped Update Emphasis on Mobility
Movement is primarily the central theme in Season 27, with characters the gravity mage, the defensive specialist, and Valkyrie all getting buffs to help keep them in motion. Recovery time on her tactical ability has been decreased, and the Gravity Lift will propel users upward much quicker than it used to. Her defensive walls feature overhead protection and capability to grant speed boosts to those nearby. However it's aerial Valkyrie receiving the most attention this season, with multiple tweaks applied to make her stronger, quicker, and more lethal.
"In my opinion there's quite a consensus that Valkyrie's time is here," says character developer Ian Holstead. "There's no doubt that she's been top-tier in the past, but due to the addition of new Legends, mobility perks, and redeployment tools, it felt like she fell behind in today's Apex. This presented an ideal chance for the team to reexamine a bunch of aspects [of her kit] and essentially restore her to her glory days."
Enhancements to the Aerial Legend
To restore her competitive status in current strategies, Holstead notes Respawn assessed each of her abilities and implemented some powerful changes. Her VTOL Jets received improvements, increasing her speed during flight, and this equipment now recharge much quicker, enabling the player to spend more time in the air. She can no longer be harmed from her own Missile Swarm, which was enhanced to tag enemies who are hit from it. Her squad redeploy ability — which lifts teammates skyward for repositioning or escape — now takes much less time to activate. She's also getting recently added perk choices that players can select to reduce fuel consumption, expand the spread of her rockets, or accelerate her ultimate activation.
"Valkyrie's equipment fulfills the pilot experience," he says.
Olympus Improvements
Even the game's only floating arena, Olympus, is getting a movement-friendly overhaul, with major changes that expands bottlenecks and renders securing elevated positions a bit less daunting. The developers state Apex Legends this update focuses on providing gamers the resources required to compete in the competition.
"Essentially, we were looking at Apex's core identity as a movement shooter," says lead Legend designer Josh Mohan.
The battle royale Season 27: Amped releases November 4th at the specified times.
