Apex Legends' Specialized Movement Mechanics Are Going Mainstream This Season
Respawn Entertainment has a special treat prepared for the popular battle royale gamers, arriving just in time for the holidays. Enthusiasts of this game's highly fluid traversal will be pleased to discover that an innovative traversal feature is being implemented when Season 27: Amped goes live on Nov. 4.
Introducing The Mantle Boost
Dubbed "Momentum Boosting" by the developers, this ability gives players a surge of forward momentum when scaling ledges and walls. As explained key developer the design lead, this technique has unofficially been a feature of the game for some time, often called as "ledge boosting." However it's no easy feat for casual gamers, and typically employed by pro gamers in competitive play or tournaments. In this update, the team is making it easier for players of all skill levels to successfully perform these advanced speed-boosts.
"This technique have been in Apex for a while, but the movement requires skill to perform and a player would never know it's possible without outside knowledge," Canavese states. "Now including a Mantle Boost indicator so players can easily see the timing to trigger the high-octane traversal skill, making accessible the feature and adding new ways to compete for more players."
Why Opening Up Advanced Mechanics
What's the reason for making a once niche movement quirk available to everyone? Principal designer Josh Mohan explains the team aims for gamers to experience empowerment β even those who are new.
"Our community is doing other crazy stuff like super-gliding and tap-strafing, and we examined at other games, looked at what our players execute, and we wondered, 'What if we provide some of this power to a broader audience?'" the designer explains. "Since currently, certain techniques are somewhat awkward to access β you need to remap your keybinds and execute within precise timings. We proposed, 'What if we create a more official implementation?'"
The Amped Update Emphasis on Mobility
Mobility is primarily the central theme in this season, with characters the gravity mage, Rampart, and Valkyrie receiving enhancements to help keep them mobile. Recovery time on Horizon's Gravity Lift is shorter, and the Gravity Lift will boost players into the air much quicker than before. Rampart's Amped Cover feature a roof and the ability to provide movement bonuses to those nearby. But the spotlight is on the high-flying Valkyrie who's getting significant improvements now, with multiple tweaks implemented to make her more potent, quicker, and deadlier.
"I think there's quite a consensus that Valkyrie's time has arrived," states character developer the designer. "There's no doubt that she's been dominant previously, but with the introduction of other characters, movement[-based] passives, and Evac Towers, it seemed like she's not very relevant in today's the game. It was an ideal chance for us to reexamine a bunch of aspects [of her kit] and sort of bring her back to her glory days."
Enhancements to the Aerial Legend
To reclaim her competitive status in current strategies, Holstead notes the team assessed each of her abilities and introduced some powerful changes. Her jetpack received improvements, increasing her speed while airborne, and this equipment regenerates three times faster, allowing the player to spend more time in the air. She can no longer take damage from her own Missile Swarm, which was enhanced to mark opponents who are hit from it. Her squad redeploy ability β which lifts her entire squad into the air for redeployment or escape β requires reduced delay to fire up. Additionally, she gains recently added Legend Upgrades that users can select to conserve resources, expand the spread of her Missile Swarm, or accelerate her ultimate takeoff time.
"Valkyrie's equipment now delivers on that jet-fighter fantasy," Holstead comments.
Map Changes
Even the game's only floating arena, Olympus, receives a movement-friendly facelift, with major changes that expands choke points and renders securing elevated positions a bit less daunting. The developers state the game this update focuses on providing gamers the resources required to compete in the competition.
"Essentially, we examined Apex's core identity as a fast-paced FPS," explains lead Legend designer the lead.
Apex Legends the Amped season launches Nov. 4 at 10 a.m. PST/1 p.m. EST.
