Apex Legends' Niche Movement Mechanics Are Going Mainstream This Season

Respawn Entertainment have a special treat in store for the popular battle royale players, arriving just in time for festive season. Fans of this game's highly fluid movement will be pleased to discover that a new movement mechanic will be introduced when the Amped season launches on Nov. 4.

Unveiling The Mantle Boost

Dubbed "Momentum Boosting" by the developers, this feature provides gamers a burst of propulsion when climbing over ledges and walls. As explained key developer the design lead, this technique was previously been a feature of the game for quite a while, usually referred to as "ledge boosting." But it's challenging for the average player, and typically employed by pro gamers in Ranked Mode or esports competitions. In this update, Respawn simplifies the process for players of all skill levels to execute these advanced speed-boosts.

"Mantle Boosts have been in the game for a while, but executing it requires skill to pull off and gamers would never know it [is in the game] without outside knowledge," the designer explains. "Now including a visual cue so users can easily see when and how to activate the fast-paced movement ability, opening up the feature and adding new ways to compete for a much wider base."

Why Make It Accessible

Why make a previously obscure technique available to everyone? Lead Legend designer the development lead explains developers wants gamers to feel powerful — including ones who are new.

"Our community performs advanced techniques like super-gliding and tap-strafes, and we examined at other games, observed what the community execute, and we said, 'How can we extend some of this power to a broader audience?'" Mohan clarifies. "Since currently, some of these techniques are kind of janky to access — it requires to remap your keybinds and hit one-frame windows. We proposed, 'How about we create a more official implementation?'"

The Amped Update Movement Focus

Mobility is largely the name of the game in this season, with Legends Horizon, Rampart, and Valkyrie receiving buffs to maintain them in motion. Recovery time on Horizon's Gravity Lift has been decreased, and the Gravity Lift will propel players upward much quicker than it used to. Rampart's Amped Cover feature overhead protection and the ability to provide movement bonuses to allies in range. But the spotlight is on the high-flying Valkyrie who's getting the most attention now, with multiple tweaks implemented to make her stronger, quicker, and deadlier.

"In my opinion many agree that Valkyrie's time is here," says character developer the designer. "There's no doubt that she's been dominant previously, but due to the addition of other characters, movement[-based] passives, and redeployment tools, it seemed like she fell behind in current Apex. It was an ideal chance for the team to revisit a bunch of aspects in her abilities and essentially bring her back to her glory days."

Valkyrie's Upgrades

To reclaim Valkyrie's relevance in the game's meta, the developer says the team assessed all her skills and implemented some powerful changes. Her jetpack received improvements, increasing velocity while airborne, and the jets themselves now recharge much quicker, allowing the player to spend more time 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 squad redeploy skill — which lifts her entire squad skyward for redeployment or escape — requires much less time to activate. Additionally, she gains recently added perk choices that users can choose to conserve resources, widen the area of her Missile Swarm, or accelerate her ultimate activation.

"Her jet pack now delivers on the pilot experience," he comments.

Olympus Improvements

Additionally, the lone airborne map, Olympus, receives a movement-friendly overhaul, with major changes that expands choke points and makes securing elevated positions a bit less daunting. The developers state the game this update is all about providing gamers the resources they need to compete in the competition.

"Essentially, we were looking at the game's fundamental nature as a movement shooter," explains lead Legend designer the lead.

The battle royale Season 27: Amped launches November 4th at the specified times.