Apex Legends' Niche Movement Mechanics Become Widely Accessible During This Update
Respawn Entertainment have a special treat prepared for Apex Legends players, perfectly timed for the holidays. Fans of this game's highly fluid movement will be pleased to learn that an innovative traversal feature will be introduced when the Amped season launches on Nov. 4.
Introducing The Mantle Boost
Dubbed "Momentum Boosting" by Respawn, this ability provides gamers a burst of forward momentum when scaling obstacles. According to key developer Eric Canavese, Mantle Boosting has unofficially been a feature of the game for some time, often called as "mantle jumping." However it's challenging for casual gamers, and is mainly used by pro gamers in competitive play or esports competitions. This season, Respawn is making it easier for players of all skill levels to successfully perform these advanced speed-boosts.
"Mantle Boosts have been in Apex for some time, but the movement requires skill to perform and a player might not realize it [is in the game] without outside knowledge," Canavese explains. "We're adding a visual cue so users can clearly identify when and how to activate the high-octane traversal skill, making accessible the mechanic and introducing new ways to play for more players."
Why Make It Accessible
What's the reason for making a previously obscure movement quirk available to all players? Lead Legend designer Josh Mohan explains developers wants gamers to feel powerful — including ones who are new.
"[The playerbase] is doing other crazy stuff like super-glides and tap-strafes, and we examined at other games, looked at what our players are doing, and we wondered, 'How can we extend some of this power to a broader audience?'" the designer explains. "Because currently, some of these techniques are somewhat awkward to use — you need to change controls and hit one-frame windows. So we said, 'How about we make a more official implementation?'"
The Amped Update Emphasis on Mobility
Movement is largely the central theme in this season, with Legends the gravity mage, the defensive specialist, and the aerial combatant all getting enhancements to help keep them mobile. Recovery time on her tactical ability is shorter, and this skill will propel users upward faster than before. Her defensive walls feature overhead protection and the ability to provide movement bonuses to those nearby. However it's the high-flying Valkyrie who's getting the most attention this season, with multiple tweaks implemented to enhance her as stronger, quicker, and more lethal.
"I think many agree that her moment is here," says Legend designer Ian Holstead. "Certainly she was top-tier previously, but due to the addition of other characters, mobility perks, and Evac Towers, it felt like she's not very relevant in current the game. This presented a really great opportunity for us to revisit a bunch of aspects [of her kit] and sort of restore her to her glory days."
Enhancements to the Aerial Legend
To reclaim Valkyrie's relevance in the game's meta, Holstead notes Respawn assessed each of her abilities and implemented some powerful changes. Her jetpack have been upgraded, boosting velocity while airborne, and this equipment now recharge three times faster, allowing her to spend more time in the air. 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 squad redeploy skill — which lifts her entire squad skyward for repositioning or escape — now takes much less time to activate. She's also getting some new perk choices that users can select to conserve resources, widen the area of her Missile Swarm, or accelerate her ultimate takeoff time.
"Valkyrie's equipment now delivers on that jet-fighter fantasy," he says.
Olympus Improvements
Additionally, the only floating arena, this location, receives a movement-friendly overhaul, with an extensive redesign that expands bottlenecks and renders claiming the high ground a bit less daunting. Respawn says Apex Legends this update is all about providing gamers the resources required to compete in matches.
"Essentially, we examined Apex's fundamental nature as a movement shooter," explains principal designer Josh Mohan.
Apex Legends the Amped season releases Nov. 4 at the specified times.
