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Respawn Entertainment have a special treat in store for Apex Legends gamers, perfectly timed for festive season. Enthusiasts of this game's super-slick movement will be pleased to discover that a new movement mechanic will be introduced when the Amped season launches on November 4th.

Introducing The Mantle Boost

Dubbed "Momentum Boosting" by the developers, this feature gives players a surge of forward momentum when climbing over ledges and walls. According to lead battle royale designer the design lead, Mantle Boosting was previously been a feature of Apex Legends for some time, often called as "ledge boosting." But it's challenging for the average player, and is mainly used by competitive players in competitive play or esports competitions. This season, the team is making it easier for everyone to execute these tricky speed-boosts.

"This technique existed in the game for some time, but executing it isn't easy to pull off and gamers might not realize it [is in the game] without outside knowledge," Canavese states. "Now including a Mantle Boost indicator so players can clearly identify the timing to trigger the fast-paced traversal skill, making accessible the feature and introducing new ways to compete for more players."

Why Make It Accessible

Why make a previously obscure movement quirk accessible to all players? Principal designer the development lead explains the team aims for players to experience empowerment — including ones who are inexperienced.

"Our community performs advanced techniques like super-glides and tap-strafes, and we looked around at our competition, observed what the community execute, and we wondered, 'What if we provide these capabilities to a broader audience?'" Mohan clarifies. "Since currently, certain techniques are somewhat awkward to use — you need to remap your keybinds and hit precise timings. We proposed, 'How about we make a more official version?'"

Season 27 Emphasis on Mobility

Movement is primarily the name of the game in Season 27, with characters the gravity mage, Rampart, and Valkyrie receiving buffs to help keep them in motion. Recovery time on Horizon's Gravity Lift has been decreased, and this skill will boost players into the air faster than before. Her defensive walls feature a roof and the ability to provide movement bonuses to those nearby. But the spotlight is on the high-flying this Legend receiving significant improvements now, with various adjustments implemented to enhance her as more potent, faster, and more lethal.

"In my opinion there's quite a consensus that her moment is here," says character developer the designer. "There's no doubt that she's been top-tier in the past, but with the introduction of new Legends, mobility perks, and redeployment tools, it felt like she fell behind in current Apex. This presented an ideal chance for us to revisit multiple elements [of her kit] and essentially bring her back to her glory days."

Valkyrie's Upgrades

To reclaim her competitive status in the game's meta, the developer notes Respawn assessed each of her abilities and implemented some powerful changes. Her jetpack received improvements, boosting her speed during flight, and this equipment regenerates much quicker, allowing her to spend more time aloft. Now she won't take damage from her ultimate ability, which was enhanced to mark enemies who take damage from the missiles. Her squad redeploy ability — which lifts her entire squad skyward for redeployment or escape — requires much less time to activate. She's also getting some new perk choices that players can select to conserve resources, expand the spread of her rockets, or further speed up her ultimate takeoff time.

"Her jet pack fulfills that jet-fighter fantasy," he comments.

Map Changes

Additionally, the lone airborne map, Olympus, receives a movement-friendly overhaul, with major changes that expands choke points and renders claiming the high ground more manageable. Respawn says Apex Legends Season 27 focuses on giving players the resources they need to compete in matches.

"Essentially, we were looking at Apex's fundamental nature as a fast-paced FPS," says lead Legend designer the lead.

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