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The game developers has a special treat prepared for Apex Legends players, perfectly timed for the holidays. Enthusiasts of the battle royale's super-slick movement can rejoice to discover that an innovative traversal feature will be introduced when Season 27: Amped launches on November 4th.

Introducing The Mantle Boost

Dubbed "Mantle Boosting" by Respawn, this ability provides gamers a surge of forward momentum when climbing over ledges and walls. According to key developer Eric Canavese, Mantle Boosting was previously been a feature of Apex Legends for quite a while, usually referred to as "mantle jumping." However it's challenging for the average player, and typically employed by pro gamers in competitive play or tournaments. This season, Respawn simplifies the process for everyone to successfully perform these advanced speed-boosts.

"This technique have been in Apex for a while, but executing it requires skill to pull off and a player might not realize it [is in the game] without external guides," the designer explains. "We're adding a Mantle Boost indicator so users can easily see when and how to trigger the fast-paced movement ability, making accessible the feature and adding fresh strategies to play for a much wider base."

The Reasoning Behind Make It Accessible

Why make a previously obscure movement quirk available to everyone? Lead Legend designer Josh Mohan explains developers wants players to experience empowerment — even those who are new.

"Our community performs other crazy stuff like super-gliding and tap-strafing, and we looked around at other games, observed what our players execute, and we wondered, 'How can we extend some of this power to a broader audience?'" the designer explains. "Since right now, some of these techniques are somewhat awkward to use — you need to change controls and hit precise timings. So we said, 'How about we create a polished implementation?'"

The Amped Update Emphasis on Mobility

Movement is largely the name of the game in Season 27, with characters the gravity mage, Rampart, and the aerial combatant all getting enhancements to maintain them in motion. The cooldown period on her tactical ability has been decreased, and this skill will propel users upward much quicker than before. Rampart's Amped Cover feature a roof and the ability to grant movement bonuses to those nearby. But the spotlight is on the high-flying this Legend receiving the most attention this season, with various adjustments applied to make her stronger, faster, and more lethal.

"I think there's quite a consensus that Valkyrie's time is here," says character developer Ian Holstead. "Certainly she was dominant previously, but with the introduction of new Legends, mobility perks, and Evac Towers, it seemed like she fell behind in today's Apex. This presented a really great opportunity for the team to revisit multiple elements [of her kit] and essentially bring her back to former prominence."

Enhancements to the Aerial Legend

To reclaim Valkyrie's relevance in current strategies, Holstead says Respawn assessed each of her abilities and introduced some powerful changes. Her jetpack have been upgraded, increasing her speed during flight, and the jets themselves now recharge much quicker, allowing the player to remain longer in the air. She can no longer take damage from her own Missile Swarm, which has also been upgraded to tag enemies who are hit from it. Her Skyward Dive skill — which launches her entire squad into the air for redeployment or escape — requires much less time to activate. Additionally, she gains some new perk choices that players can choose to conserve resources, expand the spread of her rockets, or further speed up her ultimate takeoff time.

"Valkyrie's equipment now delivers on that jet-fighter fantasy," he says.

Map Changes

Additionally, the only floating arena, Olympus, receives a mobility-focused facelift, with an extensive redesign that opens up choke points and makes claiming the high ground a bit less daunting. The developers says the game Season 27 focuses on providing gamers the tools they need to keep up with the competition.

"Essentially, we examined the game's fundamental nature as a movement shooter," explains lead Legend designer Josh Mohan.

Apex Legends the Amped season releases November 4th at 10 a.m. PST/1 p.m. EST.