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The game developers have an exciting surprise prepared for the popular battle royale players, perfectly timed for festive season. Fans of the battle royale's highly fluid traversal can rejoice to learn that a new movement mechanic will be introduced when Season 27: Amped goes live on Nov. 4.

Introducing The Mantle Boost

Named "Momentum Boosting" by Respawn, this ability gives players a surge of propulsion when climbing over ledges and walls. According to lead battle royale designer the design lead, Mantle Boosting has unofficially existed of the game for quite a while, often called as "mantle jumping." But it's no easy feat 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 successfully perform these advanced movement boosts.

"Mantle Boosts existed in Apex for some time, but executing it requires skill to perform and gamers might not realize it [is in the game] without outside knowledge," Canavese states. "Now including a Mantle Boost indicator so users can clearly identify the timing to activate the high-octane movement ability, opening up the mechanic and introducing new ways to compete for a much wider base."

Why Opening Up Advanced Mechanics

What's the reason for making a previously obscure technique accessible to all players? Lead Legend designer the development lead says developers wants gamers to feel powerful — even those who are new.

"[The playerbase] is doing other crazy stuff like super-gliding and tap-strafing, and we looked around at our competition, looked at what the community are doing, and we said, 'How can we provide some of this power to more players?'" the designer explains. "Because currently, certain techniques are kind of janky to access — it requires to change controls and execute within precise timings. So we said, 'What if we create a more official implementation?'"

Season 27 Movement Focus

Mobility is primarily the name of the game in Season 27, with characters Horizon, Rampart, and Valkyrie receiving buffs to help keep them in motion. Recovery time on her tactical ability is shorter, and the Gravity Lift will propel players into the air much quicker than before. Rampart's Amped Cover now include a roof and capability to grant movement bonuses to those nearby. But it's aerial Valkyrie receiving the most attention this season, with various adjustments implemented to enhance her as more potent, faster, and more lethal.

"I think many agree that her moment has arrived," says character developer the designer. "Certainly she was top-tier in the past, but due to the addition of other characters, movement[-based] passives, and Evac Towers, it seemed like she's not very relevant in today's the game. This presented an ideal chance for us to reexamine a bunch of aspects in her abilities and sort of bring her back to her glory days."

Valkyrie's Upgrades

To reclaim Valkyrie's relevance in current strategies, Holstead says Respawn evaluated all her skills and introduced significant modifications. Her VTOL Jets have been upgraded, increasing her speed during flight, and the jets themselves regenerates much quicker, enabling the player to spend more time aloft. Now she won't be harmed from her own Missile Swarm, which has also been upgraded to mark opponents who are hit from the missiles. Her Skyward Dive skill — which lifts teammates into the air for redeployment or retreat — requires reduced delay to activate. She's also getting recently added Legend Upgrades that players can choose to reduce fuel consumption, expand the spread of her Missile Swarm, or accelerate her Skyward Dive activation.

"Valkyrie's equipment fulfills that jet-fighter fantasy," he says.

Olympus Improvements

Additionally, the lone airborne map, this location, is getting a mobility-focused facelift, with major changes that opens up choke points and makes claiming the high ground more manageable. The developers state Apex Legends this update focuses on giving players the resources they need to keep up with matches.

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

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