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The game developers has an exciting surprise prepared for Apex Legends players, arriving just in time for the holidays. Enthusiasts of this game's highly fluid movement can rejoice to discover that an innovative traversal feature will be introduced when the Amped season goes live on November 4th.

Introducing The Mantle Boost

Dubbed "Momentum Boosting" by Respawn, this ability gives players a surge of forward momentum when scaling obstacles. According to key developer the design lead, Mantle Boosting has unofficially been a feature of the game for some time, usually referred to as "ledge boosting." However it's no easy feat for the average player, and typically employed by pro gamers in competitive play or esports competitions. In this update, the team is making it easier for players of all skill levels to execute these tricky speed-boosts.

"Mantle Boosts have been in the game for some time, but executing it requires skill to pull off and gamers would never know it's possible without external guides," the designer explains. "Now including a Mantle Boost indicator so users can easily see when and how to activate the high-octane movement ability, opening up the feature and adding new ways to compete for a much wider base."

The Reasoning Behind Opening Up Advanced Mechanics

What's the reason for making a once niche technique available to all players? Principal designer the development lead explains the team wants gamers to experience empowerment — including ones who are inexperienced.

"[The playerbase] is doing other crazy stuff like super-glides and tap-strafing, and we looked around at other games, observed what the community execute, and we said, 'What if we provide these capabilities to more players?'" Mohan clarifies. "Because currently, certain advanced [movement] mechanics are somewhat awkward to access — you need to remap your keybinds and execute within precise timings. So we said, 'What if we create a more official implementation?'"

Season 27 Emphasis on Mobility

Movement is largely the central theme in Season 27, with characters the gravity mage, the defensive specialist, and Valkyrie receiving enhancements to help keep them mobile. Recovery time on Horizon's Gravity Lift is shorter, and the Gravity Lift will boost users upward faster than before. Her defensive walls feature a roof and the ability to provide movement bonuses to allies in range. However it's aerial Valkyrie receiving significant improvements this season, with various adjustments implemented to make her more potent, faster, and more lethal.

"I think many agree that her moment is here," says Legend designer the designer. "Certainly she was top-tier in the past, but with the introduction of other characters, mobility perks, and Evac Towers, it seemed like she's not very relevant in today's the game. This presented a really great opportunity for the team to revisit multiple elements in her abilities and essentially restore her to former prominence."

Valkyrie's Upgrades

To restore her competitive status in current strategies, the developer says the team assessed all her skills and implemented some powerful changes. Her jetpack received improvements, increasing her speed during flight, and this equipment now recharge much quicker, enabling her 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 take damage from the missiles. Her Skyward Dive skill — which lifts teammates skyward for repositioning or escape — now takes much less time to fire up. She's also getting recently added Legend Upgrades that users can choose to conserve resources, widen the area of her rockets, or further speed up her Skyward Dive takeoff time.

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

Map Changes

Additionally, the only floating arena, this location, receives a mobility-focused overhaul, with an extensive redesign that opens up choke points and makes securing elevated positions more manageable. Respawn state Apex Legends Season 27 is all about giving players the resources they need to keep up with the competition.

"Essentially, we examined the game's fundamental nature as a fast-paced FPS," says lead Legend designer the lead.

The battle royale Season 27: Amped launches November 4th at 10 a.m. PST/1 p.m. EST.