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The game developers have a special treat in store for the popular battle royale players, perfectly timed for the holidays. Fans of the battle royale's super-slick movement will be pleased to discover that a new movement mechanic is being implemented when the Amped season launches on November 4th.

Introducing The Mantle Boost

Named "Momentum Boosting" by Respawn, 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 Apex Legends for some time, usually referred to as "mantle jumping." However it's no easy feat for the average player, and is mainly used by pro gamers in competitive play or tournaments. This season, Respawn is making it easier for everyone to execute these advanced speed-boosts.

"This technique have been in Apex for some time, but executing it isn't easy to pull off and gamers might not realize it [is in the game] without external guides," Canavese explains. "Now including a Mantle Boost indicator so users can easily see when and how to trigger the high-octane traversal skill, making accessible the mechanic and adding new ways to play for a much wider base."

Why Opening Up Advanced Mechanics

What's the reason for making a previously obscure technique available to everyone? Lead Legend designer the development lead explains developers aims for gamers to feel powerful — including ones who are new.

"Our community performs other crazy stuff like super-glides and tap-strafing, and we examined at our competition, looked at what our players execute, and we said, 'What if we provide some of this power to a broader audience?'" Mohan explains. "Because right now, some of these advanced [movement] mechanics are somewhat awkward to use — it requires to remap your keybinds and hit one-frame windows. We proposed, 'How about we create a more official version?'"

Season 27 Movement Focus

Mobility is largely the name of the game in this season, with characters the gravity mage, the defensive specialist, and Valkyrie all getting buffs to maintain them in motion. Recovery time on Horizon's Gravity Lift has been decreased, and the Gravity Lift will boost users into the air much quicker than before. Her defensive walls feature a roof and capability to grant movement bonuses to allies in range. But the spotlight is on aerial Valkyrie receiving the most attention now, with multiple tweaks applied to enhance her as stronger, quicker, and more lethal.

"I think many agree that Valkyrie's time has arrived," says character developer the designer. "There's no doubt she was top-tier in the past, but with the introduction of new Legends, mobility perks, and Evac Towers, it seemed like she fell behind in current Apex. It was a really great opportunity for us to reexamine a bunch of aspects [of her kit] and sort of restore her to former prominence."

Enhancements to the Aerial Legend

To restore her competitive status in the game's meta, the developer notes Respawn assessed each of her abilities and implemented significant changes. Her VTOL Jets received improvements, boosting her speed during flight, and this equipment now recharge three times faster, enabling her to remain longer aloft. She can no longer take damage from her own Missile Swarm, which was enhanced to mark enemies who are hit from the missiles. Her squad redeploy ability — which lifts teammates into the air for redeployment or retreat — requires reduced delay to activate. Additionally, she gains some new perk choices that users can choose to conserve resources, widen the area of her Missile Swarm, or accelerate her Skyward Dive takeoff time.

"Her jet pack fulfills the pilot experience," Holstead says.

Olympus Improvements

Even the game's lone airborne map, this location, receives a movement-friendly overhaul, with major changes that expands choke points and renders securing elevated positions more manageable. The developers state Apex Legends Season 27 focuses on giving players the tools required to compete in the competition.

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

The battle royale Season 27: Amped launches November 4th at the specified times.