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The game developers has an exciting surprise in store for the popular battle royale gamers, arriving just in time for the holidays. Enthusiasts of this game's highly fluid traversal can rejoice to discover that an innovative traversal feature will be introduced when Season 27: Amped launches on November 4th.

Unveiling The Mantle Boost

Dubbed "Momentum Boosting" by Respawn, this ability gives players a burst of propulsion when scaling ledges and walls. As explained lead battle royale designer the design lead, Mantle Boosting has unofficially 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 competitive players in Ranked Mode or esports competitions. In this update, Respawn is making it easier for players of all skill levels to execute these tricky speed-boosts.

"Mantle Boosts existed in Apex for a while, but the movement isn't easy to pull off and a player would never know it [is in the game] without external guides," Canavese states. "Now including a visual cue so users can easily see the timing to trigger the fast-paced movement ability, opening up the mechanic and adding new ways to compete for a much wider base."

The Reasoning Behind Opening Up Advanced Mechanics

Why make a previously obscure movement quirk available to all players? Principal designer Josh Mohan explains the team wants gamers to feel powerful — even those who are inexperienced.

"[The playerbase] performs advanced techniques like super-gliding and tap-strafes, and we examined at our competition, observed what our players execute, and we wondered, 'What if we provide some of this power to more players?'" the designer explains. "Since currently, certain advanced [movement] mechanics are kind of janky to access — it requires to change controls and hit precise timings. We proposed, 'What if we create a polished implementation?'"

The Amped Update Movement Focus

Movement is primarily the central theme in this season, with characters Horizon, the defensive specialist, and Valkyrie receiving enhancements to help keep them mobile. The cooldown period on Horizon's Gravity Lift is shorter, and this skill will boost players into the air faster than it used to. Rampart's Amped Cover feature a roof and capability to grant speed boosts to allies in range. However the spotlight is on aerial this Legend receiving significant improvements now, with various adjustments applied to enhance her as stronger, faster, and deadlier.

"I think many agree that her moment has arrived," says character developer the designer. "Certainly she was top-tier in the past, but due to the addition of other characters, mobility perks, and redeployment tools, it felt like she fell behind in current the game. This presented an ideal chance for the team to revisit multiple elements in her abilities and essentially bring her back to former prominence."

Enhancements to the Aerial Legend

To restore Valkyrie's relevance in the game's meta, the developer says the team assessed all her skills and introduced some powerful modifications. Her jetpack have been upgraded, boosting her speed during flight, and the jets themselves regenerates much quicker, enabling her to remain longer aloft. She can no longer take damage from her own Missile Swarm, which was enhanced to tag opponents who take damage from it. Her Skyward Dive skill — which lifts teammates into the air for repositioning or retreat — requires reduced delay to fire up. Additionally, she gains some new Legend Upgrades that users can select to conserve resources, expand the spread of her rockets, or further speed up her ultimate activation.

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

Map Changes

Additionally, the lone airborne map, Olympus, receives a mobility-focused facelift, with an extensive redesign that expands choke points and makes claiming the high ground more manageable. The developers state Apex Legends this update is all about giving players the resources required to keep up with matches.

"Essentially, we were looking at the game's core identity as a movement shooter," explains lead Legend designer the lead.

Apex Legends Season 27: Amped launches Nov. 4 at 10 a.m. PST/1 p.m. EST.