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Respawn Entertainment have a special treat in store for Apex Legends players, arriving just in time for the holidays. Enthusiasts of this game's highly fluid traversal will be pleased to learn that a new movement mechanic will be introduced when Season 27: Amped goes live on November 4th.

Unveiling The Mantle Boost

Named "Momentum Boosting" by Respawn, this feature provides gamers a burst of forward momentum when climbing over obstacles. According to lead battle royale designer the design lead, Mantle Boosting has unofficially been a feature of the game for quite a while, usually referred to as "mantle jumping." But it's no easy feat for the average player, and is mainly used by competitive players in Ranked Mode or tournaments. In this update, Respawn simplifies the process for everyone to successfully perform these advanced movement boosts.

"Mantle Boosts existed in the game for some time, but executing it isn't easy to perform and a player would never know it's possible without outside knowledge," Canavese explains. "We're adding a visual cue so players can clearly identify when and how to activate the fast-paced traversal skill, making accessible the mechanic and introducing new ways to play for more players."

The Reasoning Behind Opening Up Advanced Mechanics

What's the reason for making a once niche technique available to everyone? Lead Legend designer Josh Mohan explains developers aims for players to feel powerful — including ones who are new.

"Our community performs advanced techniques like super-gliding and tap-strafes, and we looked around at our competition, observed what our players are doing, and we said, 'How can we provide these capabilities to a broader audience?'" Mohan explains. "Because currently, some of these advanced [movement] mechanics are kind of janky to use — you need to change controls and execute within one-frame windows. So we said, 'What if we make a more official version?'"

The Amped Update Emphasis on Mobility

Mobility is primarily the central theme in Season 27, with characters Horizon, Rampart, and Valkyrie receiving buffs to help keep them in motion. The cooldown period on her tactical ability is shorter, and the Gravity Lift will boost users upward faster than it used to. Rampart's Amped Cover now include overhead protection and capability to provide movement bonuses to those nearby. But it's aerial this Legend who's getting the most attention this season, with multiple tweaks applied to enhance her as stronger, quicker, and deadlier.

"I think there's quite a consensus that her moment is here," states character developer the designer. "There's no doubt that she's been top-tier in the past, but due to the addition of new Legends, mobility perks, and Evac Towers, it felt like she fell behind in current Apex. It was a really great opportunity for the team to revisit multiple elements in her abilities and sort of restore her to former prominence."

Valkyrie's Upgrades

To restore Valkyrie's relevance in the game's meta, Holstead notes the team assessed each of her abilities and implemented significant modifications. Her jetpack have been upgraded, increasing her speed while airborne, and the jets themselves now recharge much quicker, allowing the player to remain longer in the air. Now she won't take damage from her own Missile Swarm, which was enhanced to tag opponents who are hit from the missiles. Her squad redeploy skill — which lifts her entire squad skyward for redeployment or escape — now takes reduced delay to activate. She's also getting recently added perk choices that users can choose to conserve resources, widen the area of her Missile Swarm, or further speed up her ultimate takeoff time.

"Her jet pack now delivers on that jet-fighter fantasy," Holstead says.

Map Changes

Additionally, the only floating arena, this location, receives a movement-friendly facelift, with an extensive redesign that expands choke points and makes securing elevated positions a bit less daunting. Respawn says Apex Legends this update focuses on providing gamers the resources required to compete in the competition.

"Really, we examined the game's fundamental nature as a fast-paced FPS," explains principal designer Josh Mohan.

Apex Legends Season 27: Amped launches November 4th at 10 a.m. PST/1 p.m. EST.