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The game developers has a special treat prepared for Apex Legends gamers, perfectly timed for the holidays. Enthusiasts of this game's highly fluid traversal can rejoice to learn that a new movement mechanic is being implemented when Season 27: Amped launches on November 4th.

Unveiling The Mantle Boost

Named "Momentum Boosting" by the developers, this feature provides gamers a surge of forward momentum when scaling obstacles. As explained lead battle royale designer Eric Canavese, Mantle Boosting was previously existed of the game for some time, usually referred to as "mantle jumping." But it's challenging for the average player, and is mainly used by competitive players in Ranked Mode or esports competitions. This season, the team is making it easier for players of all skill levels to successfully perform these advanced speed-boosts.

"Mantle Boosts have been in Apex for some time, but executing it requires skill to perform and a player 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 the timing to trigger the fast-paced traversal skill, opening up the feature and introducing fresh strategies to play for more players."

The Reasoning Behind Make It Accessible

Why make a previously obscure movement quirk available to everyone? Principal designer the development lead explains the team wants gamers to experience empowerment — even those who are inexperienced.

"[The playerbase] is doing other crazy stuff like super-gliding and tap-strafing, and we looked around at other games, looked at what our players execute, and we wondered, 'How can we extend these capabilities to a broader audience?'" Mohan clarifies. "Because right now, certain advanced [movement] mechanics are somewhat awkward to use — it requires to change controls and execute within one-frame windows. So we said, 'How about we make a polished implementation?'"

The Amped Update Emphasis on Mobility

Mobility is largely the name of the game in this season, with characters the gravity mage, Rampart, and Valkyrie receiving buffs to help keep them mobile. Recovery time on Horizon's Gravity Lift is shorter, and this skill will boost players upward much quicker than before. Her defensive walls now include a roof and the ability to grant speed boosts to allies in range. But it's the high-flying Valkyrie who's getting the most attention this season, with various adjustments implemented to make her stronger, quicker, and deadlier.

"I think many agree that Valkyrie's time is here," states Legend designer the designer. "Certainly she was dominant previously, but due to the addition of new Legends, movement[-based] passives, and redeployment tools, it seemed like she's not very relevant in current the game. It was an ideal chance for the team to reexamine a bunch of aspects in her abilities and sort of restore her to her glory days."

Enhancements to the Aerial Legend

To reclaim her competitive status in current strategies, Holstead says Respawn assessed each of her abilities and introduced some powerful modifications. Her VTOL Jets have been upgraded, increasing velocity while airborne, and the jets themselves regenerates three times faster, enabling 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 opponents who take damage from it. Her Skyward Dive skill — which lifts teammates skyward for redeployment or retreat — requires much less time to activate. Additionally, she gains recently added Legend Upgrades that players can choose to conserve resources, widen the area of her Missile Swarm, or further speed up her Skyward Dive activation.

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

Olympus Improvements

Additionally, the lone airborne map, this location, receives a mobility-focused facelift, with an extensive redesign that expands choke points and renders claiming the high ground more manageable. The developers says Apex Legends this update focuses on giving players the resources required to compete in the competition.

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

Apex Legends Season 27: Amped releases Nov. 4 at 10 a.m. PST/1 p.m. EST.