Apex Legends' Specialized Traversal Techniques Are Going Mainstream During This Update

The game developers has an exciting surprise in store for Apex Legends players, arriving just in time for festive season. Fans of this game's super-slick movement will be pleased to learn that an innovative traversal feature will be introduced when Season 27: Amped launches on Nov. 4.

Introducing Mantle Boosting

Named "Momentum Boosting" by the developers, this feature gives players a surge of forward momentum when scaling ledges and walls. According to lead battle royale designer the design lead, this technique was previously been a feature of the game for some time, often called as "mantle jumping." However it's no easy feat for the average player, and is mainly used by pro gamers in competitive play or tournaments. This season, Respawn simplifies the process for players of all skill levels to execute these tricky speed-boosts.

"Mantle Boosts have been in the game for a while, 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 Mantle Boost indicator so players can clearly identify when and how to activate the fast-paced movement ability, opening up the mechanic and adding fresh strategies to compete for a much wider base."

The Reasoning Behind Make It Accessible

What's the reason for making a once niche movement quirk accessible to all players? Lead Legend designer Josh Mohan says developers aims for gamers to feel powerful — even those who are new.

"[The playerbase] performs other crazy stuff like super-gliding and tap-strafes, and we examined at our competition, observed what the community execute, and we wondered, 'How can we provide these capabilities to more players?'" the designer explains. "Because currently, some of these techniques are somewhat awkward to access — it requires to remap your keybinds and hit one-frame windows. So we said, 'How about we make a more official version?'"

Season 27 Emphasis on Mobility

Mobility is largely the name of the game in this season, with characters Horizon, the defensive specialist, and Valkyrie all getting buffs to help keep them in motion. The cooldown period on her tactical ability has been decreased, and the Gravity Lift will propel users upward faster than it used to. Her defensive walls now include a roof and the ability to grant speed boosts to allies in range. However it's aerial Valkyrie receiving significant improvements this season, with various adjustments implemented to enhance her as more potent, faster, and more lethal.

"I think there's quite a consensus that Valkyrie's time is here," states character developer Ian Holstead. "Certainly she was top-tier in the past, but due to the addition of new Legends, movement[-based] passives, and redeployment tools, it felt like she fell behind in current the game. This presented a really great opportunity for us to reexamine a bunch of aspects in her abilities and essentially restore her to former prominence."

Valkyrie's Upgrades

To reclaim her competitive status in the game's meta, the developer notes the team evaluated each of her abilities and implemented some powerful changes. Her jetpack received improvements, increasing velocity during flight, and this equipment regenerates three times faster, allowing the player to spend more time aloft. Now she won't be harmed from her own Missile Swarm, which was enhanced to tag opponents who are hit from the missiles. Her Skyward Dive skill — which launches teammates skyward for redeployment or escape — now takes reduced delay to fire up. Additionally, she gains some new perk choices that players can choose to reduce fuel consumption, expand the spread of her Missile Swarm, or further speed up her Skyward Dive takeoff time.

"Valkyrie's equipment fulfills the pilot experience," he comments.

Olympus Improvements

Even the game's lone airborne map, this location, is getting a mobility-focused facelift, with an extensive redesign that opens up choke points and renders claiming the high ground more manageable. The developers state Apex Legends Season 27 is all about providing gamers the resources required to compete in matches.

"Really, we were looking at the game's core identity as a movement shooter," explains principal designer Josh Mohan.

Apex Legends Season 27: Amped releases November 4th at the specified times.