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The game developers have a special treat prepared for Apex Legends gamers, arriving just in time for the holidays. Fans of this game's super-slick movement will be pleased to discover that an innovative traversal feature is being implemented when the Amped season launches on Nov. 4.

Unveiling Mantle Boosting

Named "Momentum Boosting" by Respawn, this ability provides gamers a surge of forward momentum when scaling ledges and walls. As explained key developer the design lead, this technique has unofficially been a feature of the game 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 esports competitions. In this update, the team is making it easier for players of all skill levels to execute these tricky speed-boosts.

"Mantle Boosts existed in the game for a while, but the movement isn't easy to perform and gamers might not realize it [is in the game] without external guides," Canavese states. "We're adding a visual cue so players can easily see when and how to trigger the high-octane traversal skill, opening up the feature and adding new ways to compete for more players."

The Reasoning Behind Make It Accessible

What's the reason for making a once niche technique accessible to all players? Principal designer Josh Mohan explains developers aims for gamers to feel powerful — even those who are inexperienced.

"Our community performs advanced techniques like super-gliding and tap-strafing, and we examined at other games, observed what our players execute, and we wondered, 'How can we extend some of this power to more players?'" Mohan clarifies. "Because right now, some of these techniques are somewhat awkward to use — it requires to change controls and execute within precise timings. So we said, 'How about we create a more official version?'"

The Amped Update Movement Focus

Movement is largely the name of the game in Season 27, with Legends the gravity mage, the defensive specialist, and the aerial combatant receiving enhancements to help keep them mobile. Recovery time on Horizon's Gravity Lift is shorter, and this skill will propel users upward faster than it used to. Rampart's Amped Cover feature overhead protection and capability to provide movement bonuses to allies in range. But the spotlight is on the high-flying Valkyrie receiving the most attention this season, with various adjustments applied to enhance her as more potent, quicker, and deadlier.

"I think there's quite a consensus that Valkyrie's time has arrived," says character developer the designer. "There's no doubt that she's been top-tier in the past, but with the introduction of new Legends, movement[-based] passives, and redeployment tools, it felt like she's not very relevant in today's the game. It was a really great opportunity for the team to reexamine a bunch of aspects in her abilities and essentially bring her back to former prominence."

Enhancements to the Aerial Legend

To reclaim Valkyrie's relevance in the game's meta, the developer says Respawn evaluated all her skills and implemented some powerful modifications. Her jetpack have been upgraded, increasing her speed while airborne, and this equipment now recharge much quicker, allowing her to remain longer in the air. She can no longer be harmed from her own Missile Swarm, which was enhanced to mark enemies who take damage from it. Her Skyward Dive skill — which launches teammates into the air for repositioning or retreat — now takes reduced delay to fire up. Additionally, she gains some new perk choices that players can select to reduce fuel consumption, expand the spread of her rockets, or further speed up her Skyward Dive takeoff time.

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

Map Changes

Additionally, the lone airborne map, Olympus, receives a mobility-focused overhaul, with major changes that opens up bottlenecks and makes claiming the high ground more manageable. The developers state the game this update is all about giving players the tools they need to compete in matches.

"Really, we were looking at Apex's core identity as a fast-paced FPS," explains lead Legend designer the lead.

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