Apex Legends' Niche Movement Mechanics Become Widely Accessible During This Update
The game developers has a special treat in store for Apex Legends players, perfectly timed for the holidays. Enthusiasts of the battle royale's highly fluid movement will be pleased 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 burst of forward momentum when scaling ledges and walls. According to key developer the design lead, this technique was previously been a feature of Apex Legends for quite a while, usually referred to as "ledge boosting." However it's challenging for the average player, and is mainly used by competitive players in Ranked Mode or esports competitions. This season, the team is making it easier for everyone to successfully perform these advanced movement boosts.
"This technique have been in the game for a while, but the movement isn't easy to perform and a player would never know it [is in the game] without external guides," Canavese states. "Now including a Mantle Boost indicator so players can easily see the timing to trigger the high-octane movement ability, making accessible the feature and adding new ways to compete for more players."
The Reasoning Behind Opening Up Advanced Mechanics
Why make a previously obscure technique accessible to everyone? Lead Legend designer the development lead says developers aims for players to experience empowerment — even those who are inexperienced.
"[The playerbase] performs advanced techniques like super-gliding and tap-strafes, and we looked around at other games, looked at what our players are doing, and we said, 'How can we provide these capabilities to more players?'" the designer clarifies. "Since right now, certain techniques are kind of janky to use — it requires to change controls and hit precise timings. So we said, 'How about we make a polished implementation?'"
Season 27 Emphasis on Mobility
Mobility is largely the name of the game in this season, with characters Horizon, the defensive specialist, and the aerial combatant receiving buffs to help keep them mobile. Recovery time on Horizon's Gravity Lift has been decreased, and the Gravity Lift will propel users into the air much quicker than it used to. Rampart's Amped Cover now include a roof and the ability to provide speed boosts to those nearby. But the spotlight is on aerial Valkyrie who's getting significant improvements this season, with various adjustments implemented to enhance her as stronger, faster, and deadlier.
"In my opinion many agree that her moment has arrived," states character developer the designer. "Certainly she was top-tier previously, but with the introduction of new Legends, movement[-based] passives, and redeployment tools, it felt like she's not very relevant in today's the game. It was a really great opportunity for us to reexamine a bunch of aspects in her abilities and sort of bring her back to her glory days."
Enhancements to the Aerial Legend
To restore Valkyrie's relevance in current strategies, Holstead says the team assessed each of her abilities and introduced some powerful modifications. Her VTOL Jets have been upgraded, boosting her speed while airborne, and the jets themselves now recharge three times faster, allowing the player to remain longer aloft. She can no longer take damage from her own Missile Swarm, which has also been upgraded to tag opponents who are hit from the missiles. Her Skyward Dive ability — which lifts teammates skyward for repositioning or escape — now takes reduced delay to fire up. She's also getting some new perk choices that players can choose to conserve resources, widen the area of her Missile Swarm, or accelerate her ultimate takeoff time.
"Her jet pack fulfills the pilot experience," he comments.
Map Changes
Additionally, the only floating arena, Olympus, is getting a movement-friendly overhaul, with an extensive redesign that expands choke points and makes claiming the high ground a bit less daunting. The developers state Apex Legends this update focuses on giving players the tools they need to compete in matches.
"Really, we examined Apex's fundamental nature as a fast-paced FPS," explains principal designer the lead.
The battle royale the Amped season releases Nov. 4 at the specified times.