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Respawn Entertainment has an exciting surprise prepared for Apex Legends players, arriving just in time for festive season. Enthusiasts of this game's highly fluid traversal can rejoice to learn that an innovative traversal feature is being implemented when the Amped season launches on Nov. 4.

Unveiling The Mantle Boost

Dubbed "Momentum Boosting" by the developers, this ability provides gamers a burst of propulsion when climbing over ledges and walls. According to key developer Eric Canavese, this technique was previously existed of the game for quite a while, usually referred to as "ledge boosting." But it's no easy feat for casual gamers, and is mainly used by pro gamers in competitive play or tournaments. This season, the team simplifies the process for players of all skill levels to execute these advanced movement boosts.

"Mantle Boosts have been in Apex for some time, but the movement isn't easy to perform and gamers might not realize it [is in the game] without external guides," the designer states. "We're adding a Mantle Boost indicator so players can clearly identify the timing to activate the high-octane traversal skill, making accessible the feature and adding fresh strategies to play for more players."

The Reasoning Behind Make It Accessible

What's the reason for making a previously obscure movement quirk available to everyone? Lead Legend designer Josh Mohan says the team wants players to experience empowerment — even those who are new.

"[The playerbase] performs other crazy stuff like super-glides and tap-strafes, and we looked around at other games, observed what the community execute, and we wondered, 'What if we extend some of this power to more players?'" Mohan explains. "Because currently, certain advanced [movement] mechanics are kind of janky to use — you need to change controls and execute within precise timings. So we said, 'How about we create a more official implementation?'"

The Amped Update Emphasis on Mobility

Mobility is primarily the central theme in Season 27, with characters the gravity mage, the defensive specialist, and the aerial combatant receiving buffs to help keep them mobile. Recovery time on Horizon's Gravity Lift is shorter, and the Gravity Lift will propel players into the air faster than before. Her defensive walls now include a roof and capability to provide movement bonuses to those nearby. However the spotlight is on aerial Valkyrie receiving the most attention now, with multiple tweaks implemented to make her more potent, quicker, and more lethal.

"In my opinion there's quite a consensus that Valkyrie's time has arrived," says character developer Ian Holstead. "There's no doubt that she's been dominant in the past, but due to the addition of other characters, mobility perks, and Evac Towers, 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 essentially bring her back to her glory days."

Enhancements to the Aerial Legend

To restore Valkyrie's relevance in current strategies, the developer says Respawn evaluated all her skills and introduced significant changes. Her jetpack received improvements, increasing her speed during flight, and this equipment now recharge three times faster, allowing the player to remain longer in the air. She can no longer take damage from her ultimate ability, which has also been upgraded to tag enemies who are hit from it. Her Skyward Dive ability — which launches teammates skyward for repositioning or retreat — now takes reduced delay to fire up. She's also getting some new Legend Upgrades that players can choose to reduce fuel consumption, widen the area of her rockets, or further speed up her Skyward Dive activation.

"Her jet pack now delivers on the pilot experience," Holstead says.

Map Changes

Additionally, the only floating arena, this location, receives a mobility-focused overhaul, with an extensive redesign that opens up bottlenecks and renders claiming the high ground a bit less daunting. Respawn says the game this update focuses on giving players the resources they need to keep up with matches.

"Essentially, we examined the game's core identity as a fast-paced FPS," says principal designer the lead.

Apex Legends Season 27: Amped releases Nov. 4 at the specified times.