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The game developers has an exciting surprise in store for Apex Legends players, arriving just in time for festive season. Fans of this game's super-slick traversal can rejoice to discover that a new movement mechanic is being implemented when Season 27: Amped launches on November 4th.

Introducing Mantle Boosting

Dubbed "Momentum Boosting" by Respawn, this ability gives players a burst of propulsion when climbing over obstacles. According to key developer the design lead, Mantle Boosting was previously existed of the game for quite a while, usually referred to as "mantle jumping." But it's no easy feat for casual gamers, and is mainly used by pro gamers in Ranked Mode or tournaments. This season, Respawn simplifies the process for players of all skill levels to successfully perform these advanced speed-boosts.

"Mantle Boosts have been in the game for some time, but executing it requires skill to perform and gamers might not realize it [is in the game] without outside knowledge," the designer states. "We're adding a visual cue so players can easily see when and how to activate the high-octane movement ability, opening up the mechanic and adding new ways to compete for more players."

Why Opening Up Advanced Mechanics

What's the reason for making a once niche movement quirk available to all players? Principal designer the development lead explains the team wants players to experience empowerment — even those who are new.

"Our community performs advanced techniques like super-glides and tap-strafes, and we looked around at our competition, observed what the community are doing, and we wondered, 'How can we provide some of this power to more players?'" the designer explains. "Since right now, certain techniques are kind of janky to access — you need to remap your keybinds and execute within precise timings. We proposed, 'What if we create a more official implementation?'"

The Amped Update Emphasis on Mobility

Movement is primarily the central theme in this season, with Legends Horizon, Rampart, and Valkyrie receiving buffs to help keep them mobile. The cooldown period on Horizon's Gravity Lift has been decreased, and the Gravity Lift will boost players upward faster than before. Rampart's Amped Cover now include a roof and capability to provide speed boosts to allies in range. However it's aerial this Legend receiving significant improvements now, with various adjustments implemented to make her more potent, faster, and more lethal.

"In my opinion there's quite a consensus that Valkyrie's time is here," states Legend designer Ian Holstead. "There's no doubt that she's been top-tier previously, but due to the addition of other characters, movement[-based] passives, and redeployment tools, it seemed like she's not very relevant in today's Apex. This presented a really great opportunity for the team to reexamine a bunch of aspects in her abilities and essentially bring her back to her glory days."

Enhancements to the Aerial Legend

To restore Valkyrie's relevance in current strategies, the developer says the team evaluated all her skills and introduced some powerful modifications. Her jetpack received improvements, boosting velocity while airborne, and this equipment regenerates three times faster, 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 enemies who take damage from the missiles. Her squad redeploy skill — which launches teammates skyward for redeployment or retreat — now takes much less time to activate. She's also getting some new Legend Upgrades that players can select to reduce fuel consumption, expand the spread of her Missile Swarm, or further speed up her Skyward Dive activation.

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

Olympus Improvements

Additionally, the only floating arena, this location, receives a movement-friendly facelift, with major changes that expands bottlenecks and renders securing elevated positions a bit less daunting. The developers says Apex Legends this update focuses on giving players the tools required to keep up with matches.

"Essentially, we examined 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.