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Respawn Entertainment has an exciting surprise prepared for Apex Legends gamers, arriving just in time for the holidays. Enthusiasts of this game's highly fluid movement will be pleased to learn that a new movement mechanic is being implemented when Season 27: Amped launches on November 4th.

Introducing Mantle Boosting

Named "Mantle Boosting" by Respawn, this ability gives players a burst of forward momentum when climbing over obstacles. According to lead battle royale designer the design lead, this technique has unofficially been a feature of Apex Legends for quite a while, usually referred to as "mantle jumping." However it's no easy feat for the average player, and is mainly used by competitive players in competitive play or tournaments. This season, the team is making it easier for players of all skill levels to successfully perform these tricky speed-boosts.

"This technique have been in Apex for a while, but executing it isn't easy to perform and gamers might not realize it's possible without outside knowledge," the designer states. "Now including a visual cue so users can clearly identify the timing to trigger the high-octane movement ability, making accessible the mechanic and introducing fresh strategies to compete for a much wider base."

Why Opening Up Advanced Mechanics

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

"[The playerbase] performs advanced techniques like super-glides and tap-strafing, and we looked around at other games, observed what our players execute, and we said, 'How can we provide some of this power to a broader audience?'" the designer explains. "Because right now, some of these advanced [movement] mechanics are kind of janky to access — you need to change controls and hit precise timings. We proposed, 'What if we create a polished version?'"

The Amped Update Movement Focus

Mobility is largely the central theme in Season 27, with Legends Horizon, Rampart, and the aerial combatant all getting buffs to help keep them mobile. The cooldown period on Horizon's Gravity Lift is shorter, and the Gravity Lift will propel players into the air much quicker than it used to. Her defensive walls now include a roof and capability to grant movement bonuses to allies in range. However the spotlight is on the high-flying this Legend who's getting significant improvements this season, with multiple tweaks applied to enhance her as more potent, quicker, and deadlier.

"I think many agree that her moment is here," says Legend designer the designer. "Certainly she was dominant in the past, but due to the addition of other characters, mobility perks, and Evac Towers, it felt like she fell behind in today's the game. 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."

Valkyrie's Upgrades

To reclaim Valkyrie's relevance in current strategies, Holstead notes Respawn evaluated each of her abilities and introduced significant modifications. Her jetpack received improvements, increasing velocity while airborne, and the jets themselves now recharge much quicker, allowing the player to spend more time aloft. Now she won't take damage from her own Missile Swarm, which was enhanced to mark enemies who are hit from the missiles. Her Skyward Dive ability — which launches teammates skyward for repositioning or escape — requires reduced delay to activate. Additionally, she gains recently added Legend Upgrades that users can choose to conserve resources, expand the spread of her rockets, or further speed up her Skyward Dive takeoff time.

"Valkyrie's equipment fulfills the pilot experience," Holstead says.

Olympus Improvements

Additionally, the lone airborne map, this location, receives a movement-friendly facelift, with major changes that opens up bottlenecks and makes claiming the high ground a bit less daunting. Respawn state Apex Legends this update is all about providing gamers the tools they need to keep up with matches.

"Really, we were looking at Apex's fundamental nature as a movement shooter," explains lead Legend designer the lead.

The battle royale the Amped season releases November 4th at the specified times.