The Battle Royale's Specialized Movement Mechanics Are Going Mainstream During This Update
Respawn Entertainment has a special treat prepared for the popular battle royale players, arriving just in time for festive season. Fans of this game's super-slick traversal can rejoice to learn that an innovative traversal feature is being implemented when the Amped season goes live on November 4th.
Unveiling Mantle Boosting
Named "Momentum Boosting" by Respawn, this ability gives players a surge of propulsion when climbing over obstacles. As explained key developer the design lead, Mantle Boosting was previously been a feature of Apex Legends for quite a while, often called as "ledge boosting." However it's no easy feat for casual gamers, and typically employed by competitive players in competitive play or esports competitions. In this update, Respawn simplifies the process for players of all skill levels to successfully perform these tricky movement boosts.
"This technique have been in the game for a while, but executing it isn't easy to perform and a player would never know it [is in the game] without external guides," the designer states. "We're adding a Mantle Boost indicator so players can clearly identify when and how to trigger the fast-paced traversal skill, opening up the feature and introducing new ways to play for more players."
Why Make It Accessible
Why make a once niche technique accessible to all players? Principal designer Josh Mohan says the team aims for players to experience empowerment — even those who are inexperienced.
"Our community is doing advanced techniques like super-glides and tap-strafing, and we looked around at our competition, looked at what the community are doing, and we said, 'How can we extend these capabilities to a broader audience?'" Mohan explains. "Because currently, certain advanced [movement] mechanics are somewhat awkward to access — it requires to change controls and execute within one-frame windows. So we said, 'How about we create a more official version?'"
The Amped Update Emphasis on Mobility
Mobility is largely the central theme in Season 27, with characters Horizon, the defensive specialist, and Valkyrie all getting enhancements to help keep them mobile. The cooldown period on Horizon's Gravity Lift is shorter, and the Gravity Lift will propel players upward much quicker than before. Her defensive walls feature a roof and capability to provide speed boosts to those nearby. However it's aerial this Legend receiving significant improvements this season, with various adjustments implemented to make her more potent, faster, and more lethal.
"I think many agree that her moment is here," states Legend designer the designer. "There's no doubt she was dominant in the past, but with the introduction of new Legends, movement[-based] passives, and redeployment tools, it seemed like she's not very relevant in current the game. This presented a really great opportunity for us to reexamine multiple elements in her abilities and essentially restore her to her glory days."
Valkyrie's Upgrades
To reclaim Valkyrie's relevance in current strategies, the developer says Respawn assessed each of her abilities and introduced significant modifications. Her VTOL Jets have been upgraded, increasing her speed during flight, and this equipment regenerates much quicker, allowing her to remain longer aloft. She can no longer take damage from her own Missile Swarm, which was enhanced to mark opponents who are hit from the missiles. Her squad redeploy skill — which launches her entire squad skyward for redeployment or retreat — requires reduced delay to fire up. Additionally, she gains some new perk choices that players can choose to conserve resources, expand the spread of her rockets, or accelerate her ultimate activation.
"Valkyrie's equipment fulfills that jet-fighter fantasy," Holstead says.
Map Changes
Even the game's lone airborne map, this location, is getting a mobility-focused facelift, with an extensive redesign that expands choke points and renders claiming the high ground a bit less daunting. Respawn says Apex Legends Season 27 focuses on providing gamers the tools required to compete in the competition.
"Essentially, we examined the game's core identity as a fast-paced FPS," says principal designer Josh Mohan.
The battle royale the Amped season launches Nov. 4 at 10 a.m. PST/1 p.m. EST.