Apex Legends' Specialized Movement Mechanics Are Going Mainstream This Season
Respawn Entertainment has a special treat in store for the popular battle royale players, arriving just in time for festive season. Fans of this game's super-slick traversal will be pleased to learn that an innovative traversal feature is being implemented when the Amped season launches on November 4th.
Introducing The Mantle Boost
Named "Mantle Boosting" by the developers, this feature provides gamers a burst of propulsion when climbing over obstacles. According to lead battle royale designer Eric Canavese, this technique has unofficially existed of the game for some time, often called as "mantle jumping." But it's challenging for casual gamers, and typically employed by pro gamers in Ranked Mode or esports competitions. In this update, Respawn is making it easier for players of all skill levels to execute these advanced speed-boosts.
"Mantle Boosts have been in the game for a while, but executing it requires skill to perform and gamers might not realize it [is in the game] without outside knowledge," Canavese states. "Now including a Mantle Boost indicator so players can easily see the timing to trigger the fast-paced traversal skill, making accessible the mechanic and adding new ways to play 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 says developers aims for gamers to feel powerful — including ones who are inexperienced.
"[The playerbase] performs other crazy stuff like super-glides and tap-strafing, and we examined at other games, looked at what the community execute, and we said, 'How can we extend some of this power to more players?'" Mohan explains. "Because currently, certain techniques are somewhat awkward to use — it requires to change controls and hit precise timings. We proposed, 'How about we make a polished version?'"
The Amped Update Emphasis on Mobility
Movement is largely the name of the game in Season 27, with Legends Horizon, Rampart, and Valkyrie all getting enhancements to maintain them in motion. The cooldown period on Horizon's Gravity Lift has been decreased, and the Gravity Lift will propel players into the air much quicker than it used to. Rampart's Amped Cover now include overhead protection and the ability to provide speed boosts to allies in range. But the spotlight is on aerial Valkyrie receiving the most attention this season, with multiple tweaks implemented to enhance her as more potent, faster, and deadlier.
"In my opinion there's quite a consensus that her moment is here," says Legend designer the designer. "There's no doubt she was top-tier previously, but with the introduction of other characters, mobility perks, and Evac Towers, it seemed like she's not very relevant in current Apex. This presented an ideal chance for the team to reexamine multiple elements in her abilities and essentially restore her to former prominence."
Enhancements to the Aerial Legend
To restore her competitive status in current strategies, the developer notes Respawn evaluated all her skills and implemented some powerful modifications. Her jetpack received improvements, increasing velocity during flight, and this equipment now recharge three times faster, allowing the player to remain longer in the air. Now she won't be harmed from her own Missile Swarm, which has also been upgraded to tag opponents who take damage from the missiles. Her squad redeploy ability — which lifts teammates into the air for repositioning or retreat — now takes reduced delay to fire up. She's also getting recently added Legend Upgrades that players can select to reduce fuel consumption, expand the spread of her rockets, or accelerate her Skyward Dive takeoff time.
"Her jet pack fulfills that jet-fighter fantasy," Holstead comments.
Olympus Improvements
Even the game's only floating arena, this location, is getting a movement-friendly overhaul, with an extensive redesign that expands bottlenecks and renders securing elevated positions more manageable. The developers state Apex Legends this update is all about providing gamers the resources they need to compete in matches.
"Really, we examined Apex's fundamental nature as a movement shooter," explains lead Legend designer the lead.
Apex Legends Season 27: Amped launches Nov. 4 at 10 a.m. PST/1 p.m. EST.
