The Battle Royale's Specialized Movement Mechanics Are Going Mainstream During This Update
The game developers has an exciting surprise prepared for the popular battle royale gamers, perfectly timed for the holidays. Fans of the battle royale's super-slick traversal can rejoice to discover that a new movement mechanic is being implemented when Season 27: Amped goes live on November 4th.
Unveiling The Mantle Boost
Named "Mantle Boosting" by the developers, this ability gives players a burst of propulsion when climbing over obstacles. As explained key developer Eric Canavese, this technique was previously existed of Apex Legends for some time, usually referred to as "mantle jumping." However it's no easy feat for casual gamers, and is mainly used by competitive players in Ranked Mode or tournaments. In this update, Respawn simplifies the process for everyone to execute these advanced movement boosts.
"Mantle Boosts existed in Apex for some time, but the movement requires skill to perform and gamers would never know it [is in the game] without external guides," Canavese explains. "Now including a visual cue so users can easily see when and how to trigger the high-octane traversal skill, opening up the mechanic and adding new ways to play for a much wider base."
The Reasoning Behind Opening Up Advanced Mechanics
What's the reason for making a previously obscure technique available to all players? Lead Legend designer the development lead explains the team aims for players to feel powerful — even those who are new.
"Our community is doing advanced techniques like super-gliding and tap-strafing, and we examined at our competition, looked at what the community execute, and we wondered, 'What if we provide these capabilities to more players?'" the designer explains. "Since right now, certain techniques are somewhat awkward to access — you need to remap your keybinds and execute within precise timings. We proposed, 'How about we make a polished implementation?'"
Season 27 Movement Focus
Movement is largely the central theme in this season, with characters the gravity mage, the defensive specialist, and Valkyrie receiving buffs to help keep them mobile. Recovery time on Horizon's Gravity Lift has been decreased, and this skill will propel users into the air faster than it used to. Rampart's Amped Cover feature a roof and capability to grant movement bonuses to those nearby. However it's aerial this Legend who's getting significant improvements now, with various adjustments implemented to enhance her as more potent, quicker, and more lethal.
"I think many agree that Valkyrie's time is here," says Legend designer Ian Holstead. "There's no doubt that she's been dominant in the past, but due to the addition of new Legends, movement[-based] passives, and redeployment tools, it seemed like she's not very relevant in today's Apex. This presented an ideal chance for the team to revisit a bunch of aspects [of her kit] and essentially restore her to former prominence."
Enhancements to the Aerial Legend
To reclaim Valkyrie's relevance in current strategies, the developer notes the team assessed each of her abilities and introduced significant modifications. Her jetpack received improvements, boosting velocity while airborne, and the jets themselves regenerates three times faster, enabling her to spend more time in the air. She can no longer take damage from her own Missile Swarm, which has also been upgraded to mark enemies who are hit from the missiles. Her Skyward Dive ability — which launches teammates into the air for repositioning or retreat — requires reduced delay to fire up. Additionally, she gains some new perk choices that players can select to reduce fuel consumption, expand the spread of her rockets, or further speed up her Skyward Dive takeoff time.
"Valkyrie's equipment now delivers on that jet-fighter fantasy," he comments.
Olympus Improvements
Additionally, the lone airborne map, this location, is getting a movement-friendly overhaul, with an extensive redesign that expands choke points and makes securing elevated positions more manageable. Respawn state Apex Legends this update is all about providing gamers the tools required to keep up with matches.
"Essentially, we examined Apex's fundamental nature as a movement shooter," explains principal designer the lead.
Apex Legends the Amped season launches November 4th at the specified times.