Apex Legends' Specialized Traversal Techniques Are Going Mainstream This Season

Respawn Entertainment have an exciting surprise in store for Apex Legends gamers, arriving just in time for festive season. Fans of the battle royale's highly fluid traversal will be pleased to discover that a new movement mechanic is being implemented when Season 27: Amped launches on November 4th.

Unveiling The Mantle Boost

Named "Momentum Boosting" by the developers, this ability gives players a burst of forward momentum when climbing over obstacles. According to key developer Eric Canavese, Mantle Boosting was previously existed of the game for some time, often called as "ledge boosting." However it's no easy feat for casual gamers, and typically employed by competitive players in Ranked Mode or esports competitions. This season, Respawn simplifies the process for players of all skill levels to successfully perform these advanced movement boosts.

"This technique have been in the game for some time, but the movement requires skill to perform and a player would never know it's possible without external guides," the designer states. "We're adding a Mantle Boost indicator so players can clearly identify the timing to trigger the high-octane traversal skill, making accessible the feature and adding fresh strategies to play for more players."

The Reasoning Behind Make It Accessible

What's the reason for making a previously obscure technique available to everyone? Lead Legend designer the development lead says developers wants players to experience empowerment — including ones who are inexperienced.

"[The playerbase] performs advanced techniques like super-glides and tap-strafing, and we looked around at our competition, observed what the community execute, and we said, 'What if we provide some of this power to more players?'" Mohan clarifies. "Since currently, some of these advanced [movement] mechanics are kind of janky to use — you need to change controls and execute within one-frame windows. So we said, 'How about we make a more official implementation?'"

Season 27 Movement Focus

Movement is largely the central theme in this season, with characters the gravity mage, the defensive specialist, and the aerial combatant receiving buffs to maintain them mobile. The cooldown period on Horizon's Gravity Lift has been decreased, and this skill will boost users upward much quicker than it used to. Rampart's Amped Cover feature a roof and capability to grant speed boosts to allies in range. But the spotlight is on aerial Valkyrie who's getting the most attention this season, with multiple tweaks applied to enhance her as more potent, faster, and more lethal.

"I think there's quite a consensus that her moment is here," states Legend designer Ian Holstead. "Certainly she was top-tier in the past, but due to the addition of other characters, movement[-based] passives, and Evac Towers, it felt like she fell behind in current the game. It was an ideal chance for the team to revisit multiple elements in her abilities and sort of bring her back to former prominence."

Valkyrie's Upgrades

To restore Valkyrie's relevance in current strategies, Holstead says the team assessed all her skills and implemented significant changes. Her jetpack received improvements, boosting velocity during flight, and the jets themselves now recharge much quicker, enabling the player to remain longer in the air. Now she won't be harmed from her own Missile Swarm, which was enhanced to mark enemies who are hit from it. Her squad redeploy skill — which lifts teammates skyward for repositioning or escape — requires much less time to fire up. Additionally, she gains recently added Legend Upgrades that users can choose to conserve resources, widen the area of her rockets, or further speed up her Skyward Dive activation.

"Her jet pack fulfills that jet-fighter fantasy," he comments.

Olympus Improvements

Additionally, the lone airborne map, this location, is getting a movement-friendly facelift, with major changes that expands choke points and makes securing elevated positions a bit less daunting. The developers says Apex Legends this update focuses on giving players the resources required to keep up with matches.

"Really, we were looking at Apex's core identity as a fast-paced FPS," explains principal designer Josh Mohan.

Apex Legends Season 27: Amped launches Nov. 4 at the specified times.