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The game developers has an exciting surprise in store for Apex Legends gamers, arriving just in time for the holidays. Fans of this game's highly fluid movement can rejoice to discover that a new movement mechanic is being implemented when Season 27: Amped launches on November 4th.

Introducing Mantle Boosting

Dubbed "Mantle Boosting" by Respawn, this feature gives players a burst of forward momentum when scaling ledges and walls. According to key developer Eric Canavese, Mantle Boosting has unofficially existed of the game for some time, usually referred to as "mantle jumping." However it's challenging for the average player, and typically employed by competitive players in competitive play or tournaments. This season, the team is making it easier for players of all skill levels to successfully perform these advanced speed-boosts.

"Mantle Boosts have been in Apex for some time, but the movement isn't easy to pull off and gamers might not realize it [is in the game] without outside knowledge," Canavese states. "We're adding a Mantle Boost indicator so users can easily see when and how to trigger the high-octane movement ability, opening up the mechanic and introducing new ways to compete for more players."

The Reasoning Behind Make It Accessible

Why make a once niche movement quirk available to everyone? Lead Legend designer the development lead explains the team aims for players to feel powerful — even those who are inexperienced.

"Our community is doing other crazy stuff like super-glides and tap-strafing, 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. "Since right now, certain advanced [movement] mechanics 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 implementation?'"

The Amped Update Movement Focus

Mobility is primarily the central theme in this season, with Legends Horizon, Rampart, and the aerial combatant all getting buffs to help keep them mobile. Recovery time on Horizon's Gravity Lift has been decreased, and this skill will boost players upward faster than before. Rampart's Amped Cover feature a roof and capability to grant movement bonuses to allies in range. But the spotlight is on the high-flying Valkyrie who's getting the most attention this season, with various adjustments applied to enhance her as more potent, faster, and more lethal.

"I think there's quite a consensus that Valkyrie's time is here," says character developer the designer. "There's no doubt she was top-tier previously, but due to the addition of other characters, mobility perks, and Evac Towers, it felt like she fell behind in today's the game. It was a really great opportunity for the team to revisit multiple elements in her abilities and sort of bring her back to former prominence."

Enhancements to the Aerial Legend

To reclaim Valkyrie's relevance in current strategies, Holstead notes Respawn assessed each of her abilities and introduced significant modifications. Her VTOL Jets have been upgraded, increasing velocity during flight, and the jets themselves now recharge three times faster, enabling the player to spend more time in the air. She can no longer be harmed from her own Missile Swarm, which was enhanced to tag opponents who are hit from the missiles. Her squad redeploy skill — which lifts her entire squad into the air for redeployment or escape — now takes reduced delay to activate. Additionally, she gains recently added Legend Upgrades that players can choose to conserve resources, widen the area of her rockets, or accelerate her ultimate takeoff time.

"Her jet pack now delivers on that jet-fighter fantasy," he says.

Map Changes

Even the game's only floating arena, Olympus, receives a movement-friendly facelift, with an extensive redesign that opens up choke points and renders securing elevated positions a bit less daunting. Respawn says the game Season 27 focuses on giving players the resources they need to compete in matches.

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

The battle royale the Amped season releases November 4th at the specified times.