Apex Legends' Specialized Traversal Techniques Are Going Mainstream This Season

Respawn Entertainment have a special treat prepared for the popular battle royale gamers, arriving just in time for festive season. Fans of this game's super-slick traversal will be pleased to learn that a new movement mechanic will be introduced when the Amped season launches on November 4th.

Unveiling The Mantle Boost

Dubbed "Momentum Boosting" by the developers, this feature provides gamers a burst of propulsion when scaling ledges and walls. As explained key developer the design lead, this technique has unofficially existed of Apex Legends for some time, usually referred to as "mantle jumping." But it's challenging for the average player, and is mainly used by competitive players in competitive play or esports competitions. In this update, Respawn simplifies the process for players of all skill levels to successfully perform these tricky speed-boosts.

"This technique existed in the game for a while, but executing it isn't easy to pull off and gamers might not realize it's possible without outside knowledge," Canavese explains. "We're adding a Mantle Boost indicator so players can clearly identify the timing to trigger the fast-paced traversal skill, opening up the feature and introducing new ways to play for a much wider base."

Why Opening Up Advanced Mechanics

What's the reason for making a once niche movement quirk accessible to all players? Principal designer Josh Mohan says the team aims for players to experience empowerment — even those who are new.

"[The playerbase] performs other crazy stuff like super-glides and tap-strafes, and we examined at our competition, observed what our players execute, and we wondered, 'How can we provide these capabilities to a broader audience?'" Mohan clarifies. "Since currently, some of these techniques are somewhat awkward to use — you need to change controls and execute within one-frame windows. So we said, 'What if we make a more official version?'"

The Amped Update Emphasis on Mobility

Movement is largely the central theme in Season 27, with characters Horizon, the defensive specialist, and Valkyrie all getting buffs to help keep them mobile. The cooldown period on her tactical ability is shorter, and this skill will boost players into the air faster than it used to. Her defensive walls feature overhead protection and capability to grant movement bonuses to those nearby. However it's the high-flying this Legend receiving the most attention this season, with multiple tweaks applied to make her more potent, quicker, and more lethal.

"In my opinion many agree that Valkyrie's time has arrived," says character developer Ian Holstead. "There's no doubt that she's been top-tier previously, but with the introduction of new Legends, movement[-based] passives, and Evac Towers, it felt like she fell behind in current the game. This presented a really great opportunity for us to revisit multiple elements [of her kit] and essentially restore her to her glory days."

Enhancements to the Aerial Legend

To restore her competitive status in current strategies, the developer says the team evaluated all her skills and introduced significant changes. Her jetpack have been upgraded, boosting her speed while airborne, and this equipment regenerates much quicker, enabling her to remain longer in the air. Now she won't take damage from her ultimate ability, which was enhanced to mark enemies who take damage from the missiles. Her Skyward Dive skill — which launches teammates skyward for redeployment or retreat — requires reduced delay to activate. She's also getting recently added perk choices that users can select to reduce fuel consumption, expand the spread of her Missile Swarm, or accelerate her ultimate activation.

"Valkyrie's equipment now delivers on that jet-fighter fantasy," Holstead says.

Map Changes

Even the game's only floating arena, this location, is getting a movement-friendly overhaul, with major changes that opens up bottlenecks and makes claiming the high ground more manageable. Respawn says the game this update is all about providing gamers the tools required to compete in matches.

"Really, we examined Apex's core identity as a movement shooter," explains principal designer Josh Mohan.

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