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The game developers has a special treat prepared for Apex Legends gamers, perfectly timed for the holidays. Fans of the battle royale's super-slick traversal can rejoice to discover that a new movement mechanic will be introduced when the Amped season launches on Nov. 4.

Unveiling The Mantle Boost

Named "Momentum Boosting" by the developers, this ability provides gamers a surge of propulsion when scaling obstacles. As explained key developer the design lead, Mantle Boosting has unofficially existed of the game for quite a while, usually referred to as "ledge boosting." However it's challenging for the average player, and typically employed by competitive players in Ranked Mode or esports competitions. In this update, Respawn is making it easier for players of all skill levels to successfully perform these tricky speed-boosts.

"Mantle Boosts existed in the game for a while, but executing it isn't easy to pull off and a player would never know it's possible without external guides," the designer explains. "Now including a Mantle Boost indicator so players can clearly identify the timing to trigger the high-octane movement ability, opening up the mechanic and adding new ways to play for more players."

The Reasoning Behind Make It Accessible

Why make a once niche technique accessible to all players? Principal designer the development lead says the team aims for gamers to feel powerful — even those who are inexperienced.

"[The playerbase] performs other crazy stuff like super-gliding and tap-strafing, and we looked around at other games, observed what the community execute, and we wondered, 'How can we provide some of this power to a broader audience?'" Mohan explains. "Since currently, some of these techniques are kind of janky to use — you need to change controls and execute within precise timings. We proposed, 'What if we create a more official version?'"

Season 27 Emphasis on Mobility

Movement is primarily the name of the game in this season, with Legends the gravity mage, the defensive specialist, and the aerial combatant receiving enhancements to maintain them mobile. Recovery time on Horizon's Gravity Lift has been decreased, and this skill will boost players into the air faster than before. Rampart's Amped Cover now include overhead protection and capability to grant movement bonuses to those nearby. But the spotlight is on aerial Valkyrie receiving significant improvements now, with multiple tweaks applied to enhance her as more potent, quicker, and deadlier.

"I think many agree that Valkyrie's time has arrived," says Legend designer Ian Holstead. "Certainly that she's been dominant in the past, but due to the addition of new Legends, movement[-based] passives, and Evac Towers, it felt like she's not very relevant in today's the game. This presented an ideal chance for us 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, Holstead notes Respawn evaluated all her skills and implemented significant modifications. Her jetpack received improvements, boosting her speed during flight, and this equipment now recharge much quicker, enabling her to remain longer in the air. Now she won't take damage from her ultimate ability, which was enhanced to tag opponents who are hit from it. Her Skyward Dive ability — which lifts teammates skyward for redeployment or escape — requires much less time to activate. Additionally, she gains some new Legend Upgrades that players can select to reduce fuel consumption, widen the area of her Missile Swarm, or further speed up her ultimate takeoff time.

"Her jet pack now delivers on the pilot experience," he comments.

Map Changes

Even the game's lone airborne map, this location, is getting a mobility-focused overhaul, with major changes that opens up bottlenecks and renders securing elevated positions more manageable. The developers says Apex Legends Season 27 is all about giving players the tools they need to keep up with the competition.

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

Apex Legends Season 27: Amped launches Nov. 4 at the specified times.