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The game developers has a special treat in store for Apex Legends gamers, perfectly timed for festive season. Enthusiasts of this game's super-slick traversal will be pleased to discover that a new movement mechanic will be introduced when Season 27: Amped goes live on November 4th.

Introducing The Mantle Boost

Named "Mantle Boosting" by the developers, this ability gives players a surge of forward momentum when climbing over obstacles. According to key developer Eric Canavese, this technique has unofficially existed of the game for quite a while, often called as "ledge boosting." But it's no easy feat for the average player, and typically employed by pro gamers in Ranked Mode or esports competitions. This season, the team is making it easier for everyone to successfully perform these advanced speed-boosts.

"This technique existed in Apex for a while, but the movement isn't easy to perform and gamers might not realize it's possible without external guides," Canavese states. "Now including a Mantle Boost indicator so players can easily see when and how to activate the high-octane traversal skill, making accessible the mechanic and adding new ways to play for more players."

The Reasoning Behind Opening Up Advanced Mechanics

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

"Our community is doing other crazy stuff like super-glides and tap-strafing, and we looked around at our competition, observed what our players are doing, and we wondered, 'What if we extend these capabilities to a broader audience?'" Mohan clarifies. "Because currently, certain advanced [movement] mechanics are somewhat awkward to use — you need to change controls and hit precise timings. So we said, 'How about we make a more official implementation?'"

The Amped Update Emphasis on Mobility

Movement is largely the central theme in Season 27, with Legends the gravity mage, Rampart, and the aerial combatant receiving buffs to maintain them in motion. The cooldown period on her tactical ability has been decreased, and the Gravity Lift will boost users into the air faster than before. Her defensive walls feature overhead protection and capability to provide movement bonuses to those nearby. However it's aerial Valkyrie receiving the most attention this season, with various adjustments applied to enhance her as more potent, quicker, and more lethal.

"I think many agree that Valkyrie's time has arrived," says character developer Ian Holstead. "There's no doubt that she's been top-tier previously, but with the introduction of other characters, mobility perks, and redeployment tools, it felt like she fell behind in today's the game. This presented an ideal chance for us to reexamine multiple elements [of her kit] and essentially restore her to former prominence."

Enhancements to the Aerial Legend

To reclaim her competitive status in the game's meta, the developer notes the team evaluated each of her abilities and implemented significant modifications. Her jetpack have been upgraded, increasing her speed while airborne, and the jets themselves regenerates three times faster, allowing the player to spend more time aloft. Now she won't take damage from her ultimate ability, which was enhanced to mark enemies who are hit from it. Her squad redeploy ability — which lifts teammates skyward for redeployment or retreat — now takes reduced delay to activate. Additionally, she gains recently added perk choices that users can select to reduce fuel consumption, widen the area of her rockets, or further speed up her ultimate activation.

"Valkyrie's equipment now delivers on the pilot experience," Holstead comments.

Map Changes

Even the game's only floating arena, Olympus, is getting a mobility-focused facelift, with major changes that opens up choke points and makes claiming the high ground more manageable. The developers says the game Season 27 focuses on providing gamers the resources required to keep up with matches.

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

Apex Legends the Amped season launches November 4th at 10 a.m. PST/1 p.m. EST.