Apex Legends' Specialized Traversal Techniques Are Going Mainstream During This Update
The game developers has an exciting surprise prepared for the popular battle royale players, perfectly timed for festive season. Enthusiasts of this game's super-slick movement will be pleased to learn that an innovative traversal feature is being implemented when Season 27: Amped launches on Nov. 4.
Unveiling Mantle Boosting
Named "Momentum Boosting" by Respawn, this feature gives players a burst of forward momentum when climbing over ledges and walls. According to lead battle royale designer 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 pro gamers in Ranked Mode or esports competitions. This season, Respawn is making it easier for players of all skill levels to execute these tricky speed-boosts.
"This technique existed in Apex for a while, but executing it isn't easy to pull off and gamers might not realize it's possible without external guides," 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 introducing new ways to play for more players."
The Reasoning Behind Opening Up Advanced Mechanics
What's the reason for making a once niche movement quirk available to everyone? Lead Legend designer Josh Mohan explains the team wants gamers to feel powerful — even those who are new.
"[The playerbase] performs other crazy stuff like super-glides and tap-strafes, and we looked around at our competition, looked at what the community are doing, and we said, 'What if we provide some of this power to more players?'" the designer explains. "Since currently, some of these advanced [movement] mechanics are somewhat awkward to access — it requires to remap your keybinds and execute within precise timings. We proposed, 'How about we make a more official implementation?'"
Season 27 Emphasis on Mobility
Mobility is largely the name of the game in this season, with characters the gravity mage, Rampart, and the aerial combatant receiving enhancements to maintain them mobile. The cooldown period on Horizon's Gravity Lift has been decreased, and this skill will boost players into the air faster than it used to. Rampart's Amped Cover now include a roof and capability to provide speed boosts to allies in range. But the spotlight is on the high-flying this Legend receiving the most attention this season, with multiple tweaks implemented to make her more potent, quicker, and more lethal.
"In my opinion many agree that Valkyrie's time has arrived," states character developer Ian Holstead. "There's no doubt that she's been top-tier in the past, but with the introduction of other characters, movement[-based] passives, and redeployment tools, it felt like she's not very relevant in current the game. This presented a really great opportunity for the team to reexamine a bunch of aspects in her abilities and sort of bring her back to her glory days."
Valkyrie's Upgrades
To reclaim Valkyrie's relevance in current strategies, Holstead notes the team assessed each of her abilities and implemented some powerful modifications. Her jetpack have been upgraded, boosting her speed while airborne, and this equipment now recharge much quicker, allowing her to spend more time 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 it. Her Skyward Dive skill — which launches teammates skyward for redeployment or retreat — requires much less time to fire up. Additionally, she gains recently added Legend Upgrades that players can choose to reduce fuel consumption, expand the spread of her rockets, or accelerate her ultimate takeoff time.
"Valkyrie's equipment fulfills the pilot experience," Holstead comments.
Map Changes
Additionally, the only floating arena, this location, is getting a mobility-focused overhaul, with an extensive redesign that expands choke points and makes claiming the high ground a bit less daunting. Respawn says Apex Legends this update focuses on providing gamers the resources required to compete in the competition.
"Really, we examined the game's core identity as a fast-paced FPS," says lead Legend designer the lead.
Apex Legends the Amped season launches November 4th at the specified times.
