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Respawn Entertainment have an exciting surprise in store for Apex Legends players, arriving just in time for festive season. Fans 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

Named "Momentum Boosting" by Respawn, this feature provides gamers a surge of propulsion when climbing over obstacles. As explained key developer the design lead, Mantle Boosting has unofficially been a feature of Apex Legends for quite a while, usually referred to as "ledge boosting." But it's no easy feat for casual gamers, and typically employed by competitive players in competitive play or esports competitions. This season, Respawn is making it easier for players of all skill levels to execute these advanced speed-boosts.

"Mantle Boosts existed in the game for some time, but the movement requires skill to pull off and gamers might not realize it's possible without external guides," Canavese explains. "We're adding a visual cue so users can clearly identify the timing to activate the high-octane movement ability, making accessible the mechanic and introducing new ways to compete for more players."

The Reasoning Behind Make It Accessible

Why make a previously obscure technique available to all players? Lead Legend designer Josh Mohan says the team wants gamers to feel powerful — even those who are inexperienced.

"Our community is doing advanced techniques like super-glides and tap-strafes, and we looked around at other games, observed what the community execute, and we wondered, 'What if we extend these capabilities to more players?'" the designer explains. "Because currently, certain advanced [movement] mechanics are kind of janky to access — you need to remap your keybinds and hit one-frame windows. We proposed, 'How about we create a more official version?'"

The Amped Update Emphasis on Mobility

Mobility is primarily the central theme in this season, with characters the gravity mage, the defensive specialist, and Valkyrie all getting buffs to maintain them mobile. Recovery time on Horizon's Gravity Lift is shorter, and the Gravity Lift will boost users into the air faster than it used to. Rampart's Amped Cover feature overhead protection and the ability to provide speed boosts to allies in range. But it's the high-flying Valkyrie receiving the most attention now, with multiple tweaks applied to enhance her as more potent, quicker, and more lethal.

"I think there's quite a consensus that her moment is here," states character developer the designer. "Certainly she was top-tier in the past, but with the introduction of other characters, mobility perks, and redeployment tools, it felt like she's not very relevant in current the game. It was a really great opportunity for the team to reexamine multiple elements in her abilities and sort of restore her to her glory days."

Enhancements to the Aerial Legend

To reclaim Valkyrie's relevance in current strategies, Holstead says Respawn assessed each of her abilities and implemented some powerful modifications. Her jetpack have been upgraded, boosting velocity during flight, and the jets themselves regenerates much quicker, allowing the player to spend more time in the air. Now she won't take damage from her own Missile Swarm, which has also been upgraded to tag enemies who are hit from it. Her Skyward Dive skill — which lifts her entire squad skyward for repositioning or escape — requires reduced delay to fire up. She's also getting recently added perk choices that players can select to reduce fuel consumption, expand the spread of her rockets, or further speed up her Skyward Dive activation.

"Her jet pack fulfills that jet-fighter fantasy," Holstead says.

Map Changes

Even the game's only floating arena, Olympus, is getting a mobility-focused overhaul, with an extensive redesign that expands bottlenecks and renders claiming the high ground a bit less daunting. The developers says Apex Legends Season 27 is all about giving players the tools required to compete in matches.

"Essentially, we examined Apex's core identity as a movement shooter," says lead Legend designer the lead.

Apex Legends the Amped season releases November 4th at the specified times.