The Battle Royale's Specialized Traversal Techniques Become Widely Accessible During This Update
The game developers have an exciting surprise prepared for the popular battle royale players, arriving just in time for festive season. Enthusiasts of this game's super-slick traversal will be pleased to learn that a new movement mechanic will be introduced when Season 27: Amped launches on November 4th.
Unveiling Mantle Boosting
Dubbed "Mantle Boosting" by the developers, this feature provides gamers a burst of propulsion when climbing over obstacles. As explained key developer Eric Canavese, Mantle Boosting has unofficially been a feature of the game for some time, usually referred to as "mantle jumping." But it's challenging for casual gamers, and typically employed by pro gamers in competitive play or tournaments. In this update, Respawn simplifies the process for players of all skill levels to execute these advanced speed-boosts.
"Mantle Boosts existed in Apex for a while, but the movement isn't easy to pull off and gamers would never know it [is in the game] without outside knowledge," the designer explains. "We're adding a Mantle Boost indicator so players can clearly identify when and how to activate the high-octane traversal skill, making accessible the feature and adding new ways to compete for a much wider base."
The Reasoning Behind Opening Up Advanced Mechanics
Why make a once niche technique available to everyone? Principal designer Josh Mohan says developers wants gamers to feel powerful — even those who are new.
"[The playerbase] is doing advanced techniques like super-glides and tap-strafing, and we looked around at other games, looked at what the community are doing, and we wondered, 'How can we provide these capabilities to more players?'" Mohan clarifies. "Since currently, certain advanced [movement] mechanics are somewhat awkward to access — you need to change controls and execute within one-frame windows. We proposed, 'What if we make a polished implementation?'"
The Amped Update Movement Focus
Movement is primarily the central theme in this season, with Legends Horizon, Rampart, and Valkyrie all getting buffs to maintain them mobile. Recovery time on Horizon's Gravity Lift is shorter, and the Gravity Lift will boost players upward faster than before. Her defensive walls feature overhead protection and the ability to grant speed boosts to those nearby. But it's the high-flying Valkyrie who's getting the most attention now, with various adjustments applied to enhance her as more potent, faster, and more lethal.
"I think many agree that her moment is here," states Legend designer the designer. "There's no doubt that she's been top-tier in the past, but due to the addition of other characters, mobility perks, and redeployment tools, it felt like she fell behind in today's the game. It was a really great opportunity for us to reexamine a bunch of aspects [of her kit] and sort of restore her to former prominence."
Valkyrie's Upgrades
To reclaim her competitive status in current strategies, the developer says the team assessed all her skills and introduced some powerful changes. Her jetpack received improvements, boosting velocity while airborne, and the jets themselves now recharge three times faster, allowing the player to remain longer aloft. She can no longer be harmed from her ultimate ability, which has also been upgraded to tag opponents who take damage from the missiles. Her Skyward Dive ability — which lifts her entire squad into the air for redeployment or escape — now takes reduced delay to fire up. Additionally, she gains some new Legend Upgrades that users can choose to conserve resources, expand the spread of her rockets, or accelerate her Skyward Dive takeoff time.
"Valkyrie's equipment fulfills that jet-fighter fantasy," he says.
Map Changes
Even the game's only floating arena, this location, receives a movement-friendly overhaul, with major changes that expands choke points and makes securing elevated positions more manageable. Respawn says Apex Legends Season 27 focuses on giving players the resources required to keep up with matches.
"Really, we examined Apex's fundamental nature as a movement shooter," explains principal designer Josh Mohan.
Apex Legends Season 27: Amped launches November 4th at the specified times.
