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Respawn Entertainment have a special treat prepared for Apex Legends gamers, arriving just in time for festive season. Fans of this game's super-slick movement will be pleased to learn that an innovative traversal feature is being implemented when Season 27: Amped launches on November 4th.

Unveiling The Mantle Boost

Dubbed "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, this technique was previously existed of the game for quite a while, usually referred to as "mantle jumping." But it's no easy feat for the average player, and typically employed by pro gamers in Ranked Mode or esports competitions. This season, Respawn is making it easier for players of all skill levels to execute these tricky movement boosts.

"Mantle Boosts existed in Apex for a while, but executing it isn't easy to pull off and gamers might not realize it's possible without external guides," the designer states. "We're adding a visual cue so players can easily see when and how to trigger the high-octane traversal skill, opening up the feature and introducing new ways to compete for more players."

The Reasoning Behind Opening Up Advanced Mechanics

What's the reason for making a previously obscure movement quirk accessible to all players? Principal designer the development lead explains the team aims for gamers to experience empowerment — even those who are inexperienced.

"[The playerbase] performs advanced techniques like super-gliding and tap-strafes, and we looked around at our competition, observed what the community are doing, and we said, 'What if we provide these capabilities to more players?'" Mohan clarifies. "Because right now, some of these techniques are kind of janky to access — you need to remap your keybinds and hit one-frame windows. We proposed, 'What if we create a polished version?'"

The Amped Update Emphasis on Mobility

Movement is primarily the central theme in this season, with Legends Horizon, Rampart, and the aerial combatant receiving buffs to maintain them mobile. Recovery time on her tactical ability has been decreased, and this skill will propel players into the air faster than it used to. Rampart's Amped Cover now include overhead protection and the ability to provide 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 more potent, quicker, and deadlier.

"I think there's quite a consensus that her moment has arrived," states 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 redeployment tools, it felt like she's not very relevant in current Apex. This presented a really great opportunity for us to revisit a bunch of aspects in her abilities and sort of restore her to former prominence."

Enhancements to the Aerial Legend

To restore Valkyrie's relevance in current strategies, Holstead says Respawn assessed all her skills and introduced some powerful changes. Her VTOL Jets received improvements, increasing velocity while airborne, and this equipment now recharge much quicker, enabling the player to spend more time aloft. Now she won't be harmed from her own Missile Swarm, which has also been upgraded to tag opponents who take damage from the missiles. Her squad redeploy ability — which lifts teammates into the air for redeployment or escape — requires reduced delay to fire up. Additionally, she gains some new perk choices that users can select to conserve resources, widen the area of her rockets, or accelerate her Skyward Dive takeoff time.

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

Olympus Improvements

Additionally, the only floating arena, this location, is getting a movement-friendly overhaul, with an extensive redesign that expands choke points and renders claiming the high ground a bit less daunting. Respawn state the game Season 27 is all about providing gamers the tools required to compete in matches.

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

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