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Respawn Entertainment has an exciting surprise in store for Apex Legends gamers, perfectly timed for festive season. Fans of this game's super-slick traversal will be pleased to discover that a new movement mechanic will be introduced when the Amped season goes live on Nov. 4.

Unveiling Mantle Boosting

Dubbed "Mantle Boosting" by Respawn, this ability gives players a burst of forward momentum when climbing over ledges and walls. According to lead battle royale designer the design lead, this technique has unofficially existed of Apex Legends for quite a while, often called as "ledge boosting." However it's no easy feat for the average player, and is mainly used by competitive players in competitive play or tournaments. In this update, the team simplifies the process for players of all skill levels to successfully perform these tricky movement boosts.

"This technique existed in the game for a while, but executing it isn't easy to pull off and gamers might not realize it [is in the game] without outside knowledge," Canavese explains. "We're adding a Mantle Boost indicator so users can clearly identify the timing to trigger the fast-paced traversal skill, making accessible the mechanic and introducing new ways to play for more players."

Why Opening Up Advanced Mechanics

Why make a once niche movement quirk accessible to everyone? Lead Legend designer the development lead explains the team aims for gamers to feel powerful — even those who are inexperienced.

"Our community performs advanced techniques like super-gliding and tap-strafes, and we examined at our competition, looked at what the community are doing, and we said, 'What if we provide these capabilities to a broader audience?'" the designer clarifies. "Because currently, certain advanced [movement] mechanics are somewhat awkward to access — you need to remap your keybinds and execute within one-frame windows. So we said, 'What if we create a more official implementation?'"

Season 27 Movement Focus

Movement is largely the name of the game in this season, with Legends the gravity mage, Rampart, and the aerial combatant receiving buffs to maintain them mobile. Recovery time on Horizon's Gravity Lift is shorter, and this skill will propel users into the air faster than it used to. Rampart's Amped Cover now include a roof and capability to provide movement bonuses to those nearby. But it's aerial this Legend who's getting significant improvements this season, with multiple tweaks applied to enhance her as more potent, faster, and deadlier.

"In my opinion many agree that her moment has arrived," says character developer Ian Holstead. "Certainly she was top-tier in the past, but due to the addition of new Legends, movement[-based] passives, and redeployment tools, it seemed like she fell behind in today's the game. It was a really great opportunity for us to reexamine multiple elements [of her kit] and sort of bring her back to her glory days."

Valkyrie's Upgrades

To restore Valkyrie's relevance in current strategies, Holstead says Respawn evaluated all her skills and introduced some powerful changes. Her jetpack have been upgraded, boosting her speed while airborne, and the jets themselves now recharge three times faster, enabling the player to remain longer aloft. She can no longer be harmed from her own Missile Swarm, which has also been upgraded to tag opponents who are hit from the missiles. Her squad redeploy ability — which launches teammates into the air for redeployment or retreat — requires reduced delay to activate. She's also getting some new Legend Upgrades that players can choose to reduce fuel consumption, widen the area of her Missile Swarm, or accelerate her Skyward Dive takeoff time.

"Valkyrie's equipment fulfills that jet-fighter fantasy," Holstead comments.

Olympus Improvements

Additionally, the only floating arena, this location, is getting a movement-friendly overhaul, with an extensive redesign that expands bottlenecks and renders securing elevated positions a bit less daunting. The developers state the game Season 27 is all about giving players the tools they need to compete in matches.

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

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