The game developers have a special treat in store for Apex Legends players, perfectly timed for festive season. Fans of the battle royale's highly fluid movement can rejoice to discover that a new movement mechanic is being implemented when the Amped season goes live on Nov. 4.
Named "Mantle Boosting" by the developers, this ability gives players a burst of propulsion when climbing over ledges and walls. As explained lead battle royale designer Eric Canavese, Mantle Boosting was previously existed of Apex Legends for some time, often called as "mantle jumping." But it's challenging for casual gamers, and typically employed by competitive players in Ranked Mode or esports competitions. In this update, the team simplifies the process for players of all skill levels to successfully perform these tricky speed-boosts.
"This technique existed in Apex for a while, but executing it isn't easy to perform and a player would never know it's possible without external guides," the designer explains. "Now including a Mantle Boost indicator so players can clearly identify the timing to trigger the high-octane movement ability, opening up the mechanic and introducing new ways to play for a much wider base."
What's the reason for making a previously obscure technique available to everyone? Principal designer Josh Mohan says the team aims for gamers to experience empowerment — even those who are new.
"Our community performs advanced techniques like super-gliding and tap-strafing, and we looked around at our competition, observed what the community execute, and we wondered, 'How can we provide some of this power to more players?'" the designer clarifies. "Since right now, certain advanced [movement] mechanics are kind of janky to use — it requires to remap your keybinds and hit one-frame windows. So we said, 'How about we create a more official implementation?'"
Movement is primarily the name of the game in Season 27, with characters the gravity mage, the defensive specialist, and the aerial combatant receiving buffs to help keep them in motion. The cooldown period on Horizon's Gravity Lift is shorter, and this skill will boost players upward faster than before. Rampart's Amped Cover feature overhead protection and the ability to grant movement bonuses to those nearby. But it's the high-flying Valkyrie who's getting the most attention now, with multiple tweaks implemented to enhance her as more potent, faster, and deadlier.
"I think there's quite a consensus that her moment is here," states character developer the designer. "There's no doubt she was dominant in the past, but with the introduction of new Legends, mobility perks, and Evac Towers, it seemed like she fell behind in current the game. This presented an ideal chance for us to reexamine a bunch of aspects [of her kit] and essentially restore her to her glory days."
To restore Valkyrie's relevance in current strategies, the developer says the team assessed all her skills and introduced some powerful changes. Her jetpack received improvements, boosting her speed during flight, and the jets themselves now recharge much quicker, allowing her to remain longer aloft. She can no longer take damage from her own Missile Swarm, which has also been upgraded to tag enemies who take damage from it. Her Skyward Dive ability — which lifts her entire squad skyward for repositioning or retreat — requires reduced delay to fire up. She's also getting recently added Legend Upgrades that players can select to conserve resources, widen the area of her Missile Swarm, or accelerate her Skyward Dive takeoff time.
"Valkyrie's equipment now delivers on that jet-fighter fantasy," he says.
Additionally, the only floating arena, this location, is getting a movement-friendly overhaul, with major changes that opens up choke points and renders claiming the high ground more manageable. Respawn says Apex Legends Season 27 is all about providing gamers the tools they need to keep up with the competition.
"Really, we examined Apex's fundamental nature as a movement shooter," explains principal designer the lead.
The battle royale the Amped season releases November 4th at 10 a.m. PST/1 p.m. EST.
A certified nutritionist and wellness coach passionate about helping others achieve their health goals through evidence-based practices.
