Apex Legends' Specialized Movement Mechanics Become Widely Accessible During This Update

Respawn Entertainment have a special treat prepared for the popular battle royale 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 Season 27: Amped goes live on November 4th.

Introducing Mantle Boosting

Dubbed "Momentum Boosting" by Respawn, this feature gives players a surge of forward momentum when climbing over ledges and walls. According to lead battle royale designer Eric Canavese, this technique has unofficially existed of Apex Legends for quite a while, usually referred to as "mantle jumping." However it's no easy feat for the average player, and typically employed by competitive players in competitive play or esports competitions. In this update, the team simplifies the process for players of all skill levels to successfully perform these tricky movement boosts.

"This technique have been in Apex for some time, but the movement isn't easy to pull off and a player might not realize it [is in the game] without external guides," Canavese explains. "We're adding a Mantle Boost indicator so users can easily see the timing to trigger the high-octane movement ability, making accessible the feature and adding new ways to compete for more players."

Why Opening Up Advanced Mechanics

What's the reason for making a previously obscure movement quirk available to all players? Lead Legend designer the development lead explains developers wants gamers to feel powerful — even those who are inexperienced.

"Our community is doing other crazy stuff like super-gliding and tap-strafes, and we examined at our competition, observed what the community are doing, and we said, 'How can we extend these capabilities to a broader audience?'" the designer clarifies. "Because currently, certain techniques are kind of janky to use — you need to change controls and execute within precise timings. So we said, 'How about we create a polished version?'"

Season 27 Emphasis on Mobility

Mobility is largely the central theme in this season, with characters Horizon, Rampart, and Valkyrie all getting buffs to help keep them mobile. Recovery time on Horizon's Gravity Lift is shorter, and this skill will propel users upward faster than before. Rampart's Amped Cover now include a roof and capability to provide movement bonuses to those nearby. But it's aerial this Legend receiving the most attention this season, with multiple tweaks implemented to enhance her as more potent, quicker, and more lethal.

"I think many agree that her moment has arrived," states character developer the designer. "There's no doubt she was top-tier in the past, 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 an ideal chance for us to reexamine multiple elements in her abilities and sort of restore her to former prominence."

Enhancements to the Aerial Legend

To reclaim her competitive status in current strategies, Holstead notes the team evaluated all her skills and introduced significant changes. Her VTOL Jets received improvements, boosting velocity while airborne, and the jets themselves now recharge much quicker, enabling the player to remain longer aloft. She can no longer take damage from her ultimate ability, which has also been upgraded to tag enemies who are hit from the missiles. Her squad redeploy skill — which lifts teammates into the air for repositioning or escape — now takes much less time to activate. She's also getting some new Legend Upgrades that users can choose to reduce fuel consumption, widen the area of her rockets, or accelerate her Skyward Dive activation.

"Valkyrie's equipment fulfills that jet-fighter fantasy," he says.

Map Changes

Additionally, the only floating arena, this location, receives a mobility-focused overhaul, with an extensive redesign that expands bottlenecks and renders securing elevated positions more manageable. Respawn says Apex Legends Season 27 focuses on giving players the resources required to compete in the competition.

"Really, we examined the game's fundamental nature as a movement shooter," explains lead Legend designer Josh Mohan.

The battle royale the Amped season launches Nov. 4 at the specified times.