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

Respawn Entertainment have a special treat in store for Apex Legends players, arriving just in time for festive season. Enthusiasts of this game's super-slick traversal can rejoice to learn that a new movement mechanic will be introduced when the Amped season goes live on Nov. 4.

Unveiling Mantle Boosting

Named "Mantle Boosting" by the developers, this ability provides gamers a surge of forward momentum when climbing over obstacles. As explained lead battle royale designer the design lead, Mantle Boosting was previously been a feature of the game for some time, usually referred to as "mantle jumping." But it's no easy feat for the average player, and is mainly used by pro gamers in competitive play or esports competitions. This season, the team simplifies the process for everyone to execute these tricky speed-boosts.

"This technique existed in Apex for a while, but executing it requires skill to perform and a player would never know it [is in the game] without external guides," Canavese states. "Now including a Mantle Boost indicator so players can easily see when and how to trigger the fast-paced traversal skill, opening up the mechanic and introducing fresh strategies to play for more players."

Why Make It Accessible

Why make a previously obscure technique available to all players? Lead Legend designer the development lead says the team aims for gamers to feel powerful — even those who are inexperienced.

"Our community performs advanced techniques like super-glides and tap-strafing, and we looked around at other games, looked at what the community execute, and we said, 'How can we provide some of this power to a broader audience?'" Mohan explains. "Because currently, certain techniques are kind of janky to access — it requires to remap your keybinds and hit one-frame windows. We proposed, 'How about we make a more official implementation?'"

Season 27 Movement Focus

Movement is primarily the central theme in Season 27, with Legends the gravity mage, Rampart, and Valkyrie receiving buffs to help keep them mobile. Recovery time on her tactical ability is shorter, and the Gravity Lift will propel players upward faster than it used to. Rampart's Amped Cover now include overhead protection and the ability to provide movement bonuses to allies in range. But the spotlight is on the high-flying this Legend receiving the most attention this season, with multiple tweaks implemented to make her more potent, quicker, and more lethal.

"I think there's quite a consensus that Valkyrie's time has arrived," says character developer the designer. "Certainly that she's been top-tier previously, but with the introduction of other characters, mobility perks, and redeployment tools, it felt like she's not very relevant in today's Apex. It was an ideal chance for us to reexamine multiple elements [of her kit] and sort of bring her back to her glory days."

Enhancements to the Aerial Legend

To reclaim Valkyrie's relevance in current strategies, the developer says the team assessed each of her abilities and implemented significant modifications. Her VTOL Jets have been upgraded, boosting her speed during flight, and the jets themselves regenerates much quicker, enabling her to remain longer aloft. Now she won't be harmed from her own Missile Swarm, which has also been upgraded to tag opponents who take damage from it. Her squad redeploy skill — which lifts her entire squad skyward for redeployment or escape — requires much less time to fire up. She's also getting recently added Legend Upgrades that users can select to reduce fuel consumption, expand the spread of her rockets, or further speed up her Skyward Dive takeoff time.

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

Olympus Improvements

Even the game's only floating arena, Olympus, is getting a movement-friendly overhaul, with an extensive redesign that expands bottlenecks and makes securing elevated positions more manageable. The developers state Apex Legends this update focuses on providing gamers the resources required to keep up with the competition.

"Essentially, we were looking at Apex's core identity as a movement shooter," says principal designer Josh Mohan.

The battle royale the Amped season releases Nov. 4 at 10 a.m. PST/1 p.m. EST.