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The game developers have a special treat in store for Apex Legends gamers, arriving just in time for festive season. Fans of this game's super-slick traversal will be pleased to learn that a new movement mechanic will be introduced when Season 27: Amped launches on November 4th.

Introducing The Mantle Boost

Named "Momentum Boosting" by the developers, this feature gives players a burst of propulsion when scaling obstacles. According to lead battle royale designer the design lead, Mantle Boosting was previously been a feature of Apex Legends for quite a while, often called as "ledge boosting." But it's challenging for the average player, and typically employed by pro gamers in Ranked Mode or esports competitions. This season, Respawn simplifies the process for players of all skill levels to execute these advanced speed-boosts.

"Mantle Boosts have been in Apex for a while, but executing it isn't easy to perform and a player might not realize it's possible without outside knowledge," Canavese states. "We're adding a Mantle Boost indicator so players can easily see when and how to activate the high-octane traversal skill, opening up the feature and introducing new ways to play for more players."

Why Opening Up Advanced Mechanics

Why make a previously obscure technique accessible to all players? Principal designer Josh Mohan explains the team wants players to feel powerful — even those who are new.

"[The playerbase] performs other crazy stuff like super-glides and tap-strafes, and we looked around at other games, observed what our players execute, and we said, 'How can we extend these capabilities to a broader audience?'" the designer explains. "Because currently, some of these advanced [movement] mechanics are kind of janky to use — it requires to change controls and hit precise timings. So we said, 'What if we make a polished implementation?'"

Season 27 Movement Focus

Movement is primarily the name of the game in this season, with Legends the gravity mage, Rampart, and Valkyrie all getting enhancements to help keep them mobile. The cooldown period on Horizon's Gravity Lift has been decreased, and the Gravity Lift will boost users upward faster than it used to. Her defensive walls feature overhead protection and capability to grant movement bonuses to those nearby. However the spotlight is on the high-flying Valkyrie receiving significant improvements this season, with various adjustments implemented to enhance her as more potent, quicker, and deadlier.

"I think many agree that her moment is here," states character developer Ian Holstead. "Certainly that she's been top-tier previously, but due to the addition of other characters, movement[-based] passives, and Evac Towers, it seemed like she fell behind in current the game. It was a really great opportunity for the team to revisit multiple elements [of her kit] and essentially bring her back to her glory days."

Valkyrie's Upgrades

To reclaim Valkyrie's relevance in the game's meta, the developer says the team assessed all her skills and introduced some powerful changes. Her VTOL Jets have been upgraded, boosting velocity during flight, and this equipment now recharge three times faster, allowing her to spend more time in the air. 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 Skyward Dive ability — which launches teammates skyward for repositioning or escape — requires much less time to activate. Additionally, she gains some new Legend Upgrades that users can choose to conserve resources, expand the spread of her Missile Swarm, or further speed up her ultimate takeoff time.

"Valkyrie's equipment fulfills the pilot experience," he comments.

Olympus Improvements

Additionally, the only floating arena, Olympus, is getting a movement-friendly facelift, with major changes that opens up bottlenecks and renders securing elevated positions a bit less daunting. Respawn says Apex Legends this update focuses on giving players the resources they need to keep up with the competition.

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

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